Designing decision support systems for flood emergency in the Timis-Bega basin [articol]

Abstract

To better monitor the progression of a major flood and its likely impact on people andproperties, Romanian Water Boards are in need to build sophisticated Flood Emergency Decision Support Systems (DSS). The aim of such a DSS is to integrate the hydrologic, hydraulic and GIS “flood intelligence” assessed over the last years ( for example 10 years) and extract and present vital flood emergency decision making information during an actual event. This paper outlines the DSS strategy and show how the DSS should extract and display all thevarious components of information to various groups which are required to respond to a flood emergency. Examples are provided of how the DSS interprets the basic hydraulic and hydrologic inputs and GIS data to provide flood intelligence such as: Flood Affected Properties – overfloor flooding associated with a predicted flood level; Evacuation and Exit Routes – the predicted depth and relative timing along evacuation routes to and from evacuation zones and nearest evacuation centers; and Flood Damage – post flood spatial assessment of the distribution of likely damage.