Flash Flood Risk and Vulnerability Analysis in Urban Areas: The Case of October 22, 2015, in Attica, Greece

Abstract

Flash floods that occurred in the urban part of Attica, Greece, in the last decades, have caused, overall, serious property and infrastructure damages, economic and social activities impediment and, occasionally, human fatalities. This paper investigates the relationship between the rainfall hazard and the induced impact, as measured by impact indicators, and examines the effect of the social factor on the vulnerability of the system exposed to the flash flood risk. The study focuses on the catastrophic flash flood event that affected Attica on October 22, 2015. The methodology includes the analysis of the spatiotemporal distribution of rainfall and citizens’ calls to the Fire Service emergency for help during the event, as well as the analysis of people’s responses at an on-line behavioral survey. Results feature the roles of the rainfall hazard and of the society on the flash flood impact and contribute to a more integrated view of the flash flood risk in an urbanized environment.