4th European Conference on Flood Risk Management

The Special Session: Life Loss Assessment Models and Methods will take place virtually on Wednesday 23 June 2021 from 16:00 to 17:30. Note the timing has changed from 11:00 to accommodate our participants who will be joining the session from the USA.

The session will be led by Karin de Bruijn, Jason Needham, Woodrow Fields, and Paul Risher

This special session will cover the uses of flood fatality models around the world. In some countries, flood risk management laws require quantification of flood fatalities to understand flood risk. Some countries have policy that supports flood fatality modeling, and others are mute on the subject. We’ll discuss how the results of a flood fatality model can inform flood risk management decisions by providing a better understanding of flood risk.

The team will review essential elements of all flood fatality models and survey some of the most frequently used models and methods from around the globe. The scale of model resolution, theoretical basis, and source of empirical data underlying these methods make them useful for different applications. Historical data is important for model validation, but scarce. A few sources of historical information and opportunities to contribute will be discussed.

The US Army Corps of Engineers, developers of LifeSim, will demonstrate their software and discuss its application on a historical dam breach flood. They will show how to load and manipulate input data, run a Monte Carlo evacuation simulation with consideration of uncertainty, and visualize output in maps and figures.  Participants can follow along by downloading the software at: HEC-LifeSim Downloads (army.mil).

Finally, there will be time for the audience to participate in the discussion and ask questions of the panel.

The programme of this special session will include

16:00      Purpose and overview

• Standard elements of flood fatality models
• Application of life loss modeling for flood risk assessments
• Informing flood risk management through life loss modeling

16:10      International flood risk policy

• Survey of laws and policy requiring or benefitting from flood fatality models

16:15      Methods and models

• Review and compare frequently used flood fatality models and methods
• Model application and preferred usage
• Historic validation data – databases of flood fatalities

16.35      LifeSim v 2.0 demonstration

• Review a dam failure case history
• Build and run a HEC-LifeSim model of the historic flood
• Visualize typical model output and results

17:05      Audience participation, questions and answers with session leaders. 

• Standard models

17:30      Closing

Please use the 'add to Schedule' button on the Special Session Programme, to register your interest in participating in this special session.

For more information visit the Special Session Hub and the webpage https://hub.floodrisk2020.net/theme/specials/lifeloss/.

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