The physical and economic impacts of urban flooding on critical infrastructure u26 surrounding communities: a decision-support framework

摘要

In recent years there has been a rise in the frequency and severity of natural disasters. The economic costs associated with these extreme events exceeded $110 billion in the year 2012 alone. While the causes for these events are many and the subject of current controversy there is little doubt that man’s role in rapid urbanization is amplifying the impacts of such occurrences and adds a layer of complexity to efforts aimed at mitigation. While there are systems in place there is a need for a national overhaul of the methods currently active for the mitigation and protection of vulnerable critical infrastructure and the communities devastated by natural disasters. This thesis presents a framework and research approach to provide a means to reducing physical and economic damages associated with natural disasters. A case study is presented illustrating the devastation that would be caused by 100, 500 and 1000-year flood events in the Hamilton County, TN area. It was found that the damages resulting from each storm would cause federal declarations of disaster. Mitigation, recovery and resilience efforts are discussed in the aftermath.