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Severe Flooding (severe + flooding)
Selected AbstractsA regional frequency analysis of United Kingdom extreme rainfall from 1961 to 2000INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CLIMATOLOGY, Issue 11 2003H. J. Fowler Abstract Multi-day rainfall events are an important cause of recent severe flooding in the UK, and any change in the magnitude of such events may have severe impacts upon urban structures such as dams, urban drainage systems and flood defences and cause failures to occur. Regional pooling of 1-, 2-, 5- and 10-day annual maxima for 1961 to 2000 from 204 sites across the UK is used in a standard regional frequency analysis to produce generalized extreme value growth curves for long return-period rainfall events for each of nine defined climatological regions. Temporal changes in 1-, 2-, 5- and 10-day annual maxima are examined with L-moments using both a 10 year moving window and the fixed decades of 1961,70, 1971,80, 1981,90 and 1991,2000. A bootstrap technique is then used to assess uncertainty in the fitted decadal growth curves and to identify significant trends in both distribution parameters and quantile estimates. There has been a two-part change in extreme rainfall event occurrence across the UK from 1961 to 2000. Little change is observed at 1 and 2 days duration, but significant decadal-level changes are seen in 5- and 10-day events in many regions. In the south of the UK, growth curves have flattened and 5- and 10-day annual maxima have decreased during the 1990s. However, in the north, the 10-day growth curve has steepened and annual maxima have risen during the 1990s. This is particularly evident in Scotland. The 50 year event in Scotland during 1961,90 has become an 8-year, 11-year and 25-year event in the East, South and North Scotland pooling regions respectively during the 1990s. In northern England the average recurrence interval has also halved. This may have severe implications for design and planning practices in flood control. Copyright © 2003 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Increased incidence of saprophytic bacteria, coliforms and E. coli following severe flooding requires risk assessment for human health: results of the River Elbe flood in August 2002JOURNAL OF FLOOD RISK MANAGEMENT, Issue 1 2009B. Karrasch Abstract In August 2002, flooding in the Elbe valley caused severe damage of sewage treatment plants and networks. We investigated the impact of flooding on the bacteriological water quality (colony-forming units of saprophytic bacteria, coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli) compared with levels from previous and subsequent years. The flood introduced organic matter and elevated saprophytic bacteria levels, and a general increase of coliform bacteria. Markedly high loads of coliforms and E. coli were detected in the water column in areas where damage to sewage treatment plants was rife, exceeding the European Commission's Bathing Water Directive. The rapid disappearance from the water column may partly be caused by sedimentation creating deposits on pasture, farmland and in built-up areas, which could represent a health hazard. Future flood risk reduction should therefore be focused on the protection of sewage systems and hygienic monitoring of floodwater and flood sediments. [source] A HYDROCLIMATOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RED RWER OF THE NORTH SNOWMELT FLOOD CATASTROPHE OF 1997,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 5 2001Paul E. Todhunter ABSTRACT: The flood hydroclimatology of the Grand Forks flood of April 1997, the most costly flood on a per capita basis for a major metropolitan area in United States history, is analyzed in terms of the natural processes that control spring snowmelt flooding in the region. The geomorphological characteristics of the basin are reviewed, and an integrated assessment of the hydroclimatological conditions during the winter of 1996 to 1997 is presented to gain a real-world understanding of the physical basis of this catastrophic flood event. The Grand Forks flood resulted from the principal flood-producing factors occurring at either historic or extreme levels, or at levels conducive to severe flooding. Above normal fall precipitation increased the fall soil moisture storage and reduced the spring soil moisture storage potential. A concrete frost layer developed that effectively reduced the soil infiltration capacity to zero. Record snowfall totals and snow cover depths occurred across the basin because of the unusual persistence of a blocking high circulation pattern throughout the winter. A severe, late spring blizzard delayed the snowmelt season and replenished the snow cover to record levels for early April. This blizzard was followed by a sudden transition to an extreme late season thaw due to the abrupt breakdown of the blocking circulation pattern. The presence of river ice contributed to backwater effects and affected the timing of tributary inflows to the main stem of the Red River. Only the absence of spring rains prevented an even more catastrophic flood disaster from taking place. This paper contributes to our understanding of the flood hydroclimatology of catastrophic flood events in an unusual flood hazard region that possesses relatively flat terrain, a north-flowing river, and an annual peak discharge time series dominated by spring snowmelt floods. [source] The role of couples' interacting world assumptions and relationship adjustment in women's postdisaster PTSD symptoms,JOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 4 2009Candice M. Monson This study examined 58 heterosexual couples' interacting assumptions about the world and relationship adjustment in predicting wives' posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms after severe flooding. Both partners completed the World Assumptions Scale (Janoff-Bulman, 1989), and wives reported on their intimate relationship adjustment and PTSD symptomatology. Neither husbands' nor wives' assumptions alone predicted wives' PTSD symptoms. However, the interaction of husbands' and wives' benevolent world assumptions significantly predicted wives' PTSD symptoms. When husbands held less benevolent world assumptions, there was a negative association between wives' assumptions and PTSD symptoms. Additionally, wives' relationship adjustment predicted their PTSD symptomatology when taking into account individual and interacting self-worth assumptions. Implications for understanding the role of intimate relationships in postdisaster mental health and interpersonally oriented prevention efforts are discussed. [source] Environmental energetics of an exceptional high-latitude stormATMOSPHERIC SCIENCE LETTERS, Issue 1 2010Alexandre Bernardes Pezza Abstract This study presents the Lorenz energetics of an exceptional baroclinic storm propagating to Nome (Alaska) in October 1992, where it caused severe flooding. The storm track was greatly influenced by the interaction with a blocking high a week before the cyclone was formed. The energetics gives new insights into this dramatic storm, suggesting that the large-scale environment was responsible for its long trajectory and intensification. The blocking high also provided the dynamic steering that facilitated the wave propagation and baroclinic growth. Our results show that the environmental energy transfers can be used as an informative metric for severe storms. Copyright © 2010 Royal Meteorological Society [source] Galling Insects (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) Survive Inundation during Host Plant Flooding in Central AmazoniaBIOTROPICA, Issue 1 2003Betsabé R. Guerra ABSTRACT The effect of host plant inundation on survivorship of Symmeria paniculatas galling herbivores was investigated in Central Amazonian floodplain forest. The majority of submerged galls were alive (62% of morphospecies 1 and 70% of morphospecies 2). Survivorship was similar between submerged leaves and new leaves that were never submerged. Some submerged galls were eaten by fish. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of galling insect survivorship under severe flooding. RESUMO O efeito da inundação da planta hospedeira na sobreviv,ncia dos herbívoros galhadores de Symmeria paniculata foi investigado numa floresta inundável da Amazo,nia Central. A maioria dos insetos galhadores submersos estava viva (62% para morfoespécie 1 e 70% para morfoespécie 2). A sobrevivéncia foi semelhante entre folhas submersas e folhas que nunca foram submersas. Algumas galhas submersas foram predadas por peixe. Este e o primeiro estudo que relata sobreviv,ncia de insetos galhadores à rigorosa inundação. [source] | |||||||||||||