Martinez et al. (2026) Identifying flash flood-prone watersheds using geomorphological and radar-derived rainfall features: a case study in Antioquia, Colombia

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Identification

• Journal: Natural Hazards
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-22
• Authors: Laura Rodríguez Martinez, Nicolás Velásquez, Luis Fernando Carvajal Serna, Manuel Mario Coy Pertuz
• DOI: 10.1007/s11069-026-08396-z

Research Groups

• Universidad de los Andes (Colombia)
• University of California, Berkeley (USA)

Short Summary

This study presents a methodology to identify watersheds prone to flash floods by combining geomorphological features and high-resolution precipitation estimates, highlighting the importance of both terrain characteristics and convective precipitation metrics in predicting flash flood risk.

Objective

• Investigate the factors influencing flash flood susceptibility in mountainous regions, with a focus on Antioquia, Colombia

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Watersheds in the Antioquia region of Colombia (approx. 10 km² to 1000 km²)
• Temporal Scale: Flash flood events between 2012 and 2022

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Statistical methods for feature selection and classification
• Data sources:
  • High-resolution quantitative precipitation estimates (QPEs)
  • Geomorphological data (slope, basin relief, Melton Index, HAND index)

Main Results

• Flashy watersheds are characterized by high slope, basin relief, Melton Index, and HAND index values, as well as intense convective precipitation events.
• The proposed classification framework effectively discriminates between flashy and non-flashy watersheds.

Contributions

• This study provides a novel approach to identifying flash flood-prone watersheds by integrating local-scale rainfall and geomorphological data, contributing to more accurate flash flood prediction and targeted mitigation strategies.

Funding

• This research was funded by the Colombian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (COLCIENCIAS) through the project "Early Warning Systems for Flash Floods in Antioquia" (Grant number: 1203-2021).

Citation

@article{Martinez2026Identifying,
  author = {Martinez, Laura Rodríguez and Velásquez, Nicolás and Serna, Luis Fernando Carvajal and Pertuz, Manuel Mario Coy},
  title = {Identifying flash flood-prone watersheds using geomorphological and radar-derived rainfall features: a case study in Antioquia, Colombia},
  journal = {Natural Hazards},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1007/s11069-026-08396-z},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-026-08396-z}
}