TY - JOUR
T1 - A combined stability function to quantify flood risks to pedestrians and vehicle occupants
AU - Evans, Barry
AU - Lam, Arthur
AU - West, Charles
AU - Ahmadian, Reza
AU - Djordjević, Slobodan
AU - Chen, Albert
AU - Pregnolato, Maria
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - With the increase of the frequency and severity of flooding events, coupled with population growth, the risks posed to people from flooding is ever more apparent. This paper proposes a methodology to examine the risks posed to vehicles' occupants and pedestrians simultaneously in an urban context. Through considering stability functions of a range of vehicle types and pedestrian, a risk assessment profile for a vehicle occupant was derived. Using a historical 1-in-20-year rainfall flood event that took place in the city of Exeter (UK) in 2014, and a synthetic 1 in 100-year rainfall flood event, the potential risks posed to vehicle occupants were analysed. The results showed that for these events the potential risks posed to people travelling by car and caught in flood waters were likely to be more severe if they were to remain within their vehicles than if they were to exit said vehicles. Analysis of the changes in risk over time further revealed that if a vehicle was to become immobilised in flood water, they would only have a short timeframe (~10 min) before the level of risk increases. This is a critical finding, highlighting that remaining inside an immobilised vehicle during flood event and waiting for assistance may increase the level the risk the individual is exposed to, with the results showing the significance of such studies in reducing the risk of flooding to people.
AB - With the increase of the frequency and severity of flooding events, coupled with population growth, the risks posed to people from flooding is ever more apparent. This paper proposes a methodology to examine the risks posed to vehicles' occupants and pedestrians simultaneously in an urban context. Through considering stability functions of a range of vehicle types and pedestrian, a risk assessment profile for a vehicle occupant was derived. Using a historical 1-in-20-year rainfall flood event that took place in the city of Exeter (UK) in 2014, and a synthetic 1 in 100-year rainfall flood event, the potential risks posed to vehicle occupants were analysed. The results showed that for these events the potential risks posed to people travelling by car and caught in flood waters were likely to be more severe if they were to remain within their vehicles than if they were to exit said vehicles. Analysis of the changes in risk over time further revealed that if a vehicle was to become immobilised in flood water, they would only have a short timeframe (~10 min) before the level of risk increases. This is a critical finding, highlighting that remaining inside an immobilised vehicle during flood event and waiting for assistance may increase the level the risk the individual is exposed to, with the results showing the significance of such studies in reducing the risk of flooding to people.
KW - Flood modelling
KW - Natural hazards
KW - Pedestrians
KW - Risk
KW - Stability
KW - Transportation
KW - Vehicles
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85176416148&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168237
DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168237
M3 - Article
C2 - 37926250
AN - SCOPUS:85176416148
SN - 0048-9697
VL - 908
JO - Science of the Total Environment
JF - Science of the Total Environment
M1 - 168237
ER -