Llasat et al. (2014) Flash flood evolution in North-Western Mediterranean

Identification

• Journal: Atmospheric Research
• Year: 2014
• Date: 2014-06-04
• Authors: María Carmen Llasat, Raül Marcos-Matamoros, Montserrat Llasat-Botija, Joan Gilabert, Marco Turco, Pere Quintana‐Seguí
• DOI: 10.1016/j.atmosres.2014.05.024

Research Groups

• Dept. Astronomy and Meteorology, Faculty of Physics, University of Barcelona, Spain
• ISAC-CNR, Turin, Italy
• Observatori de l'Ebre, URL-CSIC, Roquetes, Spain

Short Summary

This paper provides an in-depth analysis of flash flood evolution and precipitation in Catalonia from 1981 to 2010, identifying 219 events and concluding that an observed increase in floods is primarily driven by changes in population density and land-use/land-cover rather than solely precipitation.

Objective

• To conduct an in-depth analysis of the evolution of floods and precipitation in Catalonia for the period 1981–2010.
• To compare the flood evolution of 1981–2010 with a longer historical period starting in 1900.
• To identify and analyze factors influencing flood trends, including precipitation evolution, population density, and other socio-economic aspects.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Catalonia, North-Western Mediterranean, Spain.
• Temporal Scale: Primary analysis: 1981–2010 (30 years). Comparative analysis: 1900 onwards.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not explicitly mentioned; the study is based on historical data analysis.
• Data sources: Systematic analysis of daily press from a specific newspaper (for homogeneous information, especially where gauge data was unavailable), historical flood records (for the period starting in 1900), population density data, and land-use/land-cover data.

Main Results

• 219 flood events (predominantly flash floods) were identified in Catalonia for the 1981–2010 period, with 375 events identified since 1900.
• Of the 219 events, 79 were classified as ordinary, 117 as extraordinary, and 23 as catastrophic.
• Autumn and summer exhibited the highest frequencies of flood events.
• 19% of the events resulted in a total of 110 casualties, with 60% of deaths occurring when individuals attempted to cross streets or streams.
• A trend analysis revealed an increase of approximately 1 flood per decade.
• This increase is primarily attributed to inter-annual and intra-annual changes in population density and land-use/land-cover, rather than solely the evolution of precipitation.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive and homogeneous analysis of flood evolution in Catalonia over a 30-year period (1981-2010), complemented by a longer historical perspective dating back to 1900.
• Highlights the critical role of socio-economic factors, such as population density and land-use/land-cover changes, as primary drivers of increasing flood trends and vulnerability, challenging a sole focus on precipitation changes.
• Quantifies the types, seasonal distribution, and human impact (casualties) of flood events in the region, utilizing press data to overcome limitations in traditional gauge data availability.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Llasat2014Flash,
  author = {Llasat, María Carmen and Marcos-Matamoros, Raül and Llasat-Botija, Montserrat and Gilabert, Joan and Turco, Marco and Quintana‐Seguí, Pere},
  title = {Flash flood evolution in North-Western Mediterranean},
  journal = {Atmospheric Research},
  year = {2014},
  doi = {10.1016/j.atmosres.2014.05.024},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atmosres.2014.05.024}
}