Uses and opportunities of emergency calls as a resource for flood risk management

Abstract

Floods pose significant risks to both human lives and property, necessitating effective flood risk management strategies. One promising approach for enhancing flood risk management is the utilization of emergency calls as a valuable data source. This paper proposes two primary applications of these calls: 1) enhancing the cartography of flood risk areas and 2) improving risk communication systems. The disastrous flood event that took place in the Vega Baja region (Spain) in September 2019 is taken as a case study for this research. On the one hand, by analysing and geolocating emergency calls related to this flood event, we identify additional affected zones that are not represented in the existing cartography, leading to more comprehensive and accurate mapping. On the other hand, the analysis of the 112 calls is used to create a context-based catalogue of warning messages, tailored to address the unique requirements and challenges faced by the local population during the flood event under study. Thus, emergency calls serve as a direct link between the needs of affected population during a flood event and emergency response agencies. Overall, the outputs of this research underscore the importance of integrating emergency call data into flood management frameworks to enhance preparedness, response, and resilience in flood-prone regions in the framework of climate change.