Rapid Assessment Method of Flood Damage Using Spatial-Statistical Models

Abdul Hamid Mar Iman,Edlic Sathiamurthy

doi:10.5539/jgg.v8n4p46

Abstract

Attention to damage assessment is always a priority especially in cases of natural disaster. The state of Kelantan is known to be one of a few Malaysian states with noticeable natural disaster, in particular, flood. In December 2014, an extraordinary magnitude of flood – nicknamed as yellow flood – struck the state causing hundreds of million ringgit of damage to properties. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate a spatial approach to estimating property damage incurred by flood. By selecting a badly affected area, GIS was used to map geo-referenced flood-hit location in Kuala Krai, Kelantan. Flood hazard was modelled and superimposed on estimated property damage. GIS spatial technique was then employed to estimate the flood damage incurred. This study, however, did not make a complete damage assessment of the properties but rather focusing on the methodology of damage assessment to show how it can be implemented. In conclusion, GIS spatial technique can generally be used to provide flood damage rapid assessment method.

Highlights

The December 2014’s flood has caused huge damage of close to RM 1 billion to the country, exclusive of RM 78 million for cleaning operations in Kelantan
It is vitally important to devise a rapid assessment method that can provide a reliable method for estimating the monetary loss as soon as flood strikes in a particular location
Accurate estimate was not the focus of this study, being able to derive some initial figure of flood damage is an important aspect of emergency relief and recovery program by the authority

Summary

Introduction

The December 2014’s flood has caused huge damage of close to RM 1 billion to the country, exclusive of RM 78 million for cleaning operations in Kelantan. A report quoted that about RM 200 million was estimated for the damage of infrastructure in Kelantan (The Star, 2/2/2015). Some studies resort to only assessing flood impact without being able to provide the monetary estimate of the damage (see for e.g. Ab-Jalil and Aminuddin, 2006; Pradan, 2009). It is vitally important to devise a rapid assessment method that can provide a reliable method for estimating the monetary loss as soon as flood strikes in a particular location. Flood damage assessment itself is not a new thing; there has been a substantial body of literature dealing with it. The techniques are difficult to generalize since they vary and case-to-case

Objectives

Methods

Findings

Conclusion