Urban flash flood in Gdańsk ‐ 2001; solutions and measures for city flood management

Abstract

Floods in urban areas cause considerable economic losses and affect many people. Measures for flood mitigation in urban areas are primarily of an engineering character. Existing city infrastructure very often restricts the introduction of appropriate new constructions. The city of Gdańsk situated at the mouth of the Vistula River, is the most flood‐prone agglomeration in Poland. Now there are three possible flood sources. The first is from the moraine hills, in case of intensive precipitation, the second is from the Gulf of Gdańsk in case of storm surges and the third is from Vistula River in case of very high discharge or ice jam. In July 2001 a severe flash flood, arising for the first time from the moraine hills, caused by very intensive rainfall, hit Gdańsk. In the paper flood run and damages are presented. In situ measurements and hydraulic calculations were carried out to support the best technical solutions to mitigate the consequences of similar floods in the future.