A city’s ability to safeguard the public in the event of a flood could be greatly improved by using scientific practices for emergency plans and involving decision-makers in the process.
This is the key finding from a new study that is the first to look at the impact of flood preparedness from multiple perspectives, including pedestrian safety, accessibility to hospitals and fire stations, and the hazards posed by travel routes and parked vehicles.
Floods affect more people worldwide than any other hazard and are the main risk faced by European emergency management authorities. With projections that climate change will further increase the magnitude and frequency of extreme weather events, researchers say this makes for a pressing case for improving mitigation strategies.
Previous studies have shown that most fatalities during floods occur outdoors when people attempt to drive or walk in floodwaters. Coupled with the consequences for traffic disruption, this prompted researchers from the University of Bristol, Newcastle University and the University of Florence to explore the problem by looking at multiple urban factors.
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