Hydrological-hydrodynamic simulation and analysis of the possible influence of the wind in the extraordinary flood of 1941 in Porto Alegre

Abstract

The great flood of 1941 remains the most impactful and traumatic flood event in the history of Porto Alegre. This event was caused by a combination of heavy rainfall in the basin in the days prior to the peak of the flood, and the wind that occurred during the flood. However, the influence of wind on the maximum flood level, although frequently mentioned, is not well known. This is largely because there are no systematic data for wind speed measuring and direction in 1941. Therefore, the present work aims to estimate the discharge and the maximum flood level in the city of Porto Alegre and in other relevant points of the basin. using hydrological-hydrodynamic modeling and, from there, analyze the possible role of the wind during the flood, through the simulation of hypothetical wind scenarios. The results showed that the discharges and levels were represented reasonably well with the MGB model at several locations in the basin. In relation to the 1941 event and the scenarios created, the contribution of the wind to the peak of the flood was of the order of a few to tens of centimeters, showing its potential role despite the limitations of the model.

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