Use of LSPIV assessing urban flash flood vulnerability

GUILLEN, N.; GARCÍA RODRIGUEZ, CARLOS MARCELO

USA

Conferencia; Hydraulic Measurements & Experimental Methods Conference; 2017

USA

The probability of the occurrence of urban flash floods has increased appreciably in recent years. Scientists have published various articles related to the estimation of the vulnerability of people and vehicles in urban areas resulting from flash floods. However, most published works are based on data generated using numerical models and in laboratory experiments. This work presents a novel approach that combines the implementation of image velocimetry technique (large-scale particle image velocimetry - LSPIV) using a flash-flood video recorded by the public locally and the estimation of the vulnerability of people and vehicles to high flow velocities in urban areas. The results presented in this paper correspond to a urban flash flood event observed on November 29, 2012, in the City of Asunción in Paraguay. During this flash flood, people and vehicles were observed being carried away because of high flow velocities. Various sequences of the recorded flash-flood video were characterized using LSPIV. The analyzed flow conditions validate the existing vulnerability criterion based on the effect of the flash flood and resulting high flow velocities on people and vehicles.