Abstract
In the framework of risk assessment for flash floods, vulnerability is a key concept to assess the susceptibility of elements at risk. Vulnerability is defined as expected degree of loss for an element at risk due to a hazard impact of a defined magnitude and frequency. Besides the increasing number of studies on flash floods available, in-depth information on vulnerability was missing so far. In order to close this gap, a vulnerability model was created for micro-sized enterprises exposed to flash floods in Greece. This model was based on a nonlinear regression approach using data from four different events. By means of bootstrapping, different functions were fitted to the data, and a modified Weibull distribution was found to represent the relationship between process magnitude and degree of loss best. Moreover, there is no need to distinguish between different business sectors when computing vulnerability for buildings exposed. The model can be applied on a local scale and may serve as a basis for flash flood risk management.
Highlights
A significant increase in losses due to flooding was repeatedly claimed by several scholars, including river flooding (Barredo 2007; Kreibich et al 2014; Winsemius et al 2014) and flash floods (Gaume et al 2009; Calianno et al 2013)
The data were based on an assessment of 61 incidents which occurred during four flash flood events in the province of East Attica, Greece
The resulting curve is in line with the results presented by Kreibich et al (2010) for small and medium-sized enterprises exposed to river flooding as well as by Papathoma-Kohle et al (2015) for residential buildings and tourist accommodations exposed to torrential flooding, but in the latter study, the overall range in the data was higher
Summary
A significant increase in losses due to flooding was repeatedly claimed by several scholars, including river flooding (Barredo 2007; Kreibich et al 2014; Winsemius et al 2014) and flash floods (Gaume et al 2009; Calianno et al 2013). Further important characteristics refer to the relationship between time and space of the rainfall distribution and the flash flood event; usually both aspects occur at the same place (Norbiato et al 2008; Rozalis et al 2010). The losses of such flood events highlight the increased importance of studies on flood hazard and risk, on a global scale but in particular on a national and subnational level (Adhikari et al 2010; Karagiorgos et al 2016a). The long history of settlement and land use (Papagiannaki et al 2015) resulting in urban sprawl has produced major soil erosion and associated environmental impacts (Ganoulis 2003; Hooke 2016), which in turn support the generation of flash floods
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