Floods

Flooding disasters pose a significant threat worldwide, with 2022 seeing them as the most common type of disaster. In the U.S. alone, four flooding disasters in 2023 cost more than $9.2 billion. Coastal urban areas face increasing threats from flooding disasters due to rising sea levels, changing precipitation patterns, and intensifying extreme weather events. This study focuses on Central Beach, Fort Lauderdale; the area's unique geographical, environmental, historical, and socio-economic characteristics make it a prime candidate for this analysis. The research objective is to comprehensively examine the factors contributing to water-related vulnerabilities of developed properties in Central Beach and assess localized impacts using regional models. The methodology involves developing probabilistic flood maps using GIS tools and the Cascade 2001 routing model. The flood scenarios consider groundwater table rise, extreme rainfall, high tides, storm surge, and sea level rise. Results indicate significant inundation risks, particularly for commercial and mobility infrastructure, under storm surge and sea level rise scenarios. The analysis highlights the importance of targeted mitigation efforts to protect these areas and reinforce resilience against future flooding events. The findings contribute valuable insights for policymakers, urban planners, and stakeholders, emphasizing the need for comprehensive strategies to mitigate flood risks in coastal urban areas.

Flood events are becoming more frequent and intense as time progresses, ushering in a “new normal” for life in South Florida, a life that presumably requires flood literacy for resilience. Utilizing a 45-question digital survey, flood literacy of 600 participants from Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe, and Palm Beach counties was assessed. Using seven indices developed for this study including residency, flood terminology literacy, flood insurance literacy, floodplain literacy, flood experience, risk communication awareness, and mitigation strategies, it was found that less than 80% of participants were flood literate, with most indicating low experience with flooding and mitigation. Interaction with risk communications and consideration of flood impacts in residency decisions were indicated as moderate. Due to inconsistencies in parts of analysis, further stratification of index topics and unification of questions types would be beneficial for future iterations of this study.

This study aims to address the unique challenges of transportation in rural and disconnected communities through innovative data-driven methodologies. The primary methods employed in this research involve Geographic Information Systems (GIS) tools and simulation techniques to model and assess the impact of flood zones on rural traffic dynamics. The study recognizes the distinct mobility patterns and limited infrastructure prevalent in rural areas, emphasizing the need for tailored solutions to manage flood-induced disruptions. By leveraging GIS tools, the study intends to spatially analyze existing transportation networks, population distribution, flood-prone areas, and key points of interest to formulate a comprehensive understanding of the local context. Simulation-based approaches using the PTV VISSIM platform will be employed to model and assess various flood scenarios and their effects on traffic flow and accessibility. This study’s outcomes aim to contribute valuable insights into improving accessibility, efficiency, and safety in transportation for these underserved areas during flood events. By combining GIS tools and simulation techniques, this research seeks to provide a robust framework for data-driven decision-making and policy formulation in the realm of rural and disconnected community mobility, particularly in the context of flood risks.

This empirical study examines decision-making in project selection in the face of overwhelming flood infrastructure needs and inadequate resources, particularly in vulnerable communities. The motivation for this study is to explore the interconnectedness between socioeconomic dimensions and environmental risks in the decision-making process for selecting projects. The study evaluates the Palm Beach County project selection framework and the impact of multi-criteria decision-making on project selection by proposing a new framework. The new project selection framework emphasizes the integration of flood risk and social vulnerability index criteria to evaluate the relationship between the new criteria in the decision-making framework and project selection.
The analysis is comprised of 24 models grouped into three distinct groups and compared using paired t-tests. The analysis reveals that of the three groups, the group which incorporates both flood risks and social vulnerability criteria consistently outperforms the others, demonstrating its effectiveness in providing a more equitable investment for vulnerable communities that are more susceptible to floods. The findings provide valuable insights and recommendations for practitioners and scholars, emphasizing the need for a theoretical framework with objectivity to guide optimal infrastructure investments for decision makers.

Current flood-risk models lack fidelity at the neighborhood level. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) develops flood maps based on experts’ experience and estimates on the probability of flooding. First Street Foundation evaluates flood risk with regional and subjective measures, without impact from torrential rain and nuisance flooding. The purpose of this research is to develop a data-driven method to determine a comprehensive flood-risk that accounts for severe, moderate, and nuisance flood events at the single-family home level, while also estimating the recovery time from the specified flood event.
The method developed uses the Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA) method from the American Society of Quality (ASQ) to determine the Consequence of Flooding (CoF), following the 1-day 100-yr storm for the Probability of Flooding (PoF). The product of CoF and PoF provides an estimate of the flood-risk. An estimated Resilience Index value derived from flood-risk, is used to determine the recovery time after a severe or moderate

Florida has 906,465 residential properties facing substantial flood risk, making it imperative to understand how the public may perceive and respond to this risk. Providing people with scientific information may not be enough to impact behavior and decrease losses from flood events. We show participants (n = 20) scientific flood risk graphics and ask behavioral questions to evaluate responses based on the rational actor paradigm (RAP), psychometric paradigm, and cultural theory. We find results consistent with the RAP in 48% of cases, primarily in low risk scenarios. Participants from high income households are more likely to make rational decisions (80%) than those from low income households (~37%). Feelings of dread potentially help explain 40% of deviations from the RAP, while trust in flood experts helps explain 85% of non-RAP cases. Future flood risk communication should incorporate dread and trust in experts into messaging considerations as rationality alone is insufficient.

As flood risk rises in the U.S., technology and insights rise too, but even with these advances we still see the consequences of flood risk. Together, the rational actor paradigm (“RAP”), psychometrics, and cultural theory help to explain risk perceptions and behaviors of 20 respondents. Results from the mixed-methods approach found the RAP insufficient, less accurate than a coin toss (48%), when explaining respondent behaviors. Rather, risk perceptions and behaviors of the RAP explain the behaviors of lower risk portrayal groups (66%) and higher income groups (80%), with higher risk portrayals being relying on respondents’ trust in flood experts (45%) and cultural worldviews (55%). Cultural identities explain 65% of respondents’ behaviors across levels of risk portrayal (500-, 100-, and 25-year floodplain), and risk portrayal types (cumulative and AAL). In a world with increased risk, technology, and knowledge, researchers need understand the explanatory power of the RAP, psychometrics, and cultural theory.

Flooding is a major threat to coastal and inland communities in the state of Florida. There are a variety of reasons for the increasing risk of flooding, such as hurricanes, torrential downpours, sea level rise, and storm surge/tides. This paper will focus on Nassau County, the most northeastern county in the state. While the area is affected by most of the aforementioned flood become more prominent over the years and will continue to impact the safety and well-being of coastal communities. In this context, planning for the future entails conducting multi-hazard analysis of risks posed by current and future storm events. This study undertakes a comprehensive analysis of flood risks in Nassau County, Florida, and examines current and future zoning and land use plans and buildings codes to provide science-based recommendations for addressing these risks.