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Flood
A Flood can be defined as a covering of land by water not normally

CHAPTER 2 covered by water resulting in severe detrimental effects.

Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such as a
river, lake, or ocean, in which the water overtops its usual boundaries.
Flood is a state of high water level along a river channel or on the coast that
leads to inundation of land, which is not usually submerged.
Flood and Flood Mitigations Floods may happen gradually and also may take hours or even happen
• Causes and impacts
• Structural methods including extensive and intensive measures suddenly without any warning due to breach in the embankment, dam, spill
• Non-structural methods; flood plain management; flood proofing, flood forecasting over, heavy rains, etc.
• Design of hydraulic structures
• Flood forecasting in developing countries
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Flood Types of flooding

 River Flooding:
Floods are without doubt the most This is flooding of extensive areas in the river vicinity caused as a result of heavy rains in the
devastating natural disasters, striking catchment areas thereby increasing the river levels.
numerous regions in the world each year.  Flash Floods:
This occurs due to heavy and continuous rains which cause water levels to rise to dangerous
level within a short period of time say 3 to 6 hours.
Floods are chiefly caused by increasing
frequency of heavy rain, changes in  Urban Flooding:
Local heavy rains over the city causing damages and disruption due to poor drainage and
upstream land-use and a continuously rapid runoff.
increasing concentration of population
 Strom Surge or Tidal Flooding:
and assets in flood prone areas. This results mostly due to tropical disturbances, developing to cyclones and crossing
surrounding coastlines.
Both structural and non-structural methods of flood control are aimed to  Floods Arising Due to Failure of Dam:
alleviate the persistent threats of water-related disasters. Due to poor maintenance and exceptionally high precipitation causing dam failure. This
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causes a surging water front travelling with high velocity destroying properties and life.
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Causes of Floods Flood Control Strategies

 River floods  Urban Flood Flood control implies all measures taken to alleviate/reduce the damaging
- Excessive Rainfall - Increased urbanization
- Excessive Snowmelt - Reduced infiltration effects of flood.
- River blockage - Reduced evapotranspiration
- Ice jam: ice that’s flown - Reduced green areas with houses
The methods for flood control can be broadly grouped into:
downstream, blocking the - Increased runoff
river
- Structural measures
- Dam failures
- Non-structural measures
 Coastal floods
Storm surge
Tsunamis
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Dr SHOLA Abdulkadir

Flood Frequency Analysis Structural measures

In the planning and design of water resources projects, engineers and Structural measures consist of construction of flood-control facilities aimed at
planners are often interested in determining the magnitude and frequency mitigating flood damage by regulating the movement of flood water. The structural
of floods that will occur at the project areas. measures include the following:

 Flood-control reservoir
Frequency analysis is one of the main techniques used to define the They are used to store flood waters for
relationship between the magnitude of an event and the frequency with release after the flood event, reducing the
which that event is exceeded. Some others are: rational method, unit magnitude of the peak discharge.
hydrograph method and rainfall-runoff models method. It can be retarding or detention ponds
 Diversion

Diversion
Flood frequency analysis (FFA) is most commonly used by engineers They are used to reroute or bypass flood
and hydrologists worldwide for estimating flood peak quantities for a set flows from damage centres in order to
of non-exceedance probabilities. reduce the peak flows at the damage
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centres.
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Structural measures –cont’d Structural measures –cont’d

 Levees and floodwalls
These are walls used to protect flood

Levee
flows from floodplain areas where

Levee
damage can occur.
 Channel modifications/improvements
These are performed to improve the
conveyance characteristics of a stream
channel or reduce the stage. These - Banks stabilization or embarkment

River straightening

Embarkment
increase the carrying capacity thereby
lowering the stage. Ex. increasing the
channel section; Realignment of the river; - Development of underground storage
Increasing velocity in the river; Increasing
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waterways at crossings 23 Dr SHOLA Abdulkadir
Dr SHOLA Abdulkadir

Non-structural measures Non-structural measures

They are used to reduce potential damages. The main idea is to keep the Other non-structural methods adopted to modify the susceptibility of flood
general civil and industrial activities uninterrupted during flood. These do damage are:
not involve construction of any hydraulic structures. These include:
 Flood forecasting and warning- They help to keep alert concerned - adoption of suitable development policies
people in advance and to take timely action for evacuation in case of
- disaster preparedness and response planning
impending danger.
 Flood proofing- the measures include re-arrangement of structural
working space, waterproofing of exterior walls and elevating structures.
Flood proofing is most applicable to new facilities.
 Flood plain management- It involves land-use control alternatives.
They are administrative and other actions to modify floodplain landuse
so that uses are compatible with the potential flood hazard. Ex.
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Afforestation, catchment management, agronomic measures 25 Dr SHOLA Abdulkadir
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Flood Forecasting
Flood forecasting is a process of estimating and predicting the magnitude,
timing and duration of flooding based on known characteristics of a river
basin, with the aim to prevent damages to human life, to properties, and to
the environment.
Flood Forecasting (FF) forms an important tool in reducing
vulnerabilities, flood risk and strategy to "live with floods", thereby
contributing to national sustainable development.
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Possible Risk Reduction Measures:
Mapping of the flood prone areas:
• Historical records of the flood inundation areas, period of occurrence and the extent of
coverage.
• Warning can be issued in the heights of water levels in case of potential threat.
• Flood hazard mapping will give the proper indication of water flow during floods.
Land use control
• In areas where people already settled, they should be relocated to better sites to reduce
vulnerability.
• No major development should be permitted in the areas subjected to high flooding.
• In urban areas, water holding areas can be created like ponds and lakes
Construction of engineered structures
• In the flood plains, structures to withstand flood forces and seepage be constructed.
• Buildings should be constructed on an elevated area.
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Typical Adverse Effects of Flood
 Loss of life and properties e.g., houses, bridges; roads, boats and
fishing nets get damaged, livestock etc.
 Landslides triggered on account of water getting saturated.
 Contamination of water facilities (well, ground water, piped water
supply) leading to outbreak of epidemics, diarrhea, viral infection,
malaria, etc.
 Agricultural land inundated causing huge crop loss. This results in
shortage of food, and animal fodder.
 Affect the soil characteristics. The land may be rendered infertile
due to erosion of top layer or may turn saline if sea water floods the
area.
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Possible Risk Reduction Measures – cont’d
Flood Control
• Decreasing the amount of runoff with the help of reforestation, protection of vegetation,
clearing of debris from streams and other water holding areas, conservation of ponds and
lakes etc.
• Flood Diversion include levees, embankments, dams and channel improvement. Dams can
store water and can release water at a manageable rate. Flood Proofing reduces the risk of
damage.
Flood Management
• Systematic planning for flood management e.g. launching of National Programme of Flood
Management.
• Structural measures include, storage reservoirs flood embankments, drainage channels, anti-
erosion works, channel improvement works, detention basins etc. and
• non-structural measures include flood forecasting, flood plain zoning, flood proofing,
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Selection of design flood Methods for Estimation of Design Flood

Prior to selection of flood control measures, it’s necessary to know the maximum flood likely to
occur and to select a suitable design flood for a flood control project.
The design flood may be:
The available methods for the estimation of design flood are as
follows:
 Maximum probable flood (MPF)
It is the flood that may be expected from the most severe combinations of  Maximum observed flood method
meteorological and hydrological conditions that are reasonably possible in that region. This is  Empirical flood formulae
done with the use of hydrographs for small and medium size catchment while frequency analysis
of past floods for the large catchment  Enveloping curves
 Standard project flood (SPF)  Unit hydrograph
It’s the flood that may be expected from the most severe combinations of  Frequency analysis
meteorological and hydrological conditions that are reasonably characteristics of the region. It’s
estimated from unit hydrograph. It is usually about 50-60% of MPF
 A flood corresponding to a desired frequency of its occurrence. This is often depend on the
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Procedures for Design of Flood Control Projects Hydraulic Structures

 Estimate the project design flood and determine flood characteristics of the area • Hydraulic Structures (HS) are structures submerged or partially
 Identify the areas to be protected by the project submerged in any body of water, which disrupts, diverts or completely
 Conduct a field survey to determine the potential flood damage stop the natural flow of water.
 Identify suitable methods of flood control
• HS can be built in rivers, a sea, or any body of water where there is a
 Select suitable sites for different works and determine the physical characteristics of the
sites need for a change in the natural flow of water.
 Design the flood control works for different alternatives of flood control measures so • HS can be made from materials: large rock, concrete timbers, steel,
that the cost estimate may be made PVC, etc.
 Select the flood control measures or combination of the methods
 Perform the economic analysis of the benefits and cost • Some HS can be used for structural flood control measures e.g.,
 Write the project report giving the details of the possibilities explored and dams, check dam, levee, culvert, etc
recommended measures Dr SHOLA Abdulkadir
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Hydraulic Structures Hydraulic Structures

Reservoir &Dams Box Culvert

Dam & Spillway

Ring Culvert

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Hydraulic Structures Hydraulic Structures

Levee
Drainage

Sluice Gate
Check dam

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Assignment 2
 With the aid of pictures/sketches, discuss the following
methods of channel improvement:
- Increasing the channel section
- Realignment of the river
- Increasing velocity in the river
 Briefly discuss how (i) drainage and (ii) check dam can be used
as flood control measures.
 Write briefly on Uganda national programme for flood
Management.
 Submission TBD by class members:

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