Hydraulic Numerical Simulations of La Sabana River Floodplain, Mexico, as a Tool for a Flood Terrain Response Analysis

Abstract

The floodplain of La Sabana River, Guerrero State, Mexico, was subject to disastrous floods due to the passage of extreme weather phenomena. This is a situation facing many ungauged rivers in Mexico, as well as in other developing countries, where increased urbanization and a lack of monitoring systems make many inhabited areas more vulnerable to flooding. The purpose of this work is to provide a tool for determining the flood terrain response to flooding based on a hydraulic study. This methodology combines a hydrological analysis of the river basin with the floodplain hydraulic study for the precise identification of overflow points and the resulting flood levels. Results show that, for an ungauged river, hydraulic analysis is an essential tool for determining the main potential flood points and establishing whether the river has the capacity to contain floods. Specifically, it is shown that La Sabana River is predisposed to overflow long before the river reaches its maximum flow, even in correspondence with more frequent flood scenarios. This study shows a further application that a hydraulic model can have to improve flood risk preparedness for ungauged rivers of regions where other types of monitoring tools cannot be used.

Analysis of Flow and Land Use on the Hydraulic Structure of Southeast Mexico City: Implications on Flood and Runoff

“…The model has been extensively validated and applied to flood studies [37][38][39] as well as to modeling of rainfall runoff processes [40,41]. In the Mexican territory, the Iber software was applied for the analysis of the influence of land use change on the increase in flood levels [42] and for the identification of potential overflow points of a river with consequent flood scenarios in the alluvial plain [43]. According to data reported by INEGI, there are four recognizable land uses in the area under study: brushland, residential, dense vegetation, and "undefined", to which the following Manning coefficients have been assigned for the characterization of surface roughness: 0.05, 0.15, 0.18, and 0.032, respectively, which are established on the basis of the River Engineering Manuals [45].…”

Flood Susceptibility in the Lower Course of the Coyuca River, Mexico: A Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis Model

“…Finally, the hydraulic modeling method is widely used in flood hazard mapping. Hydraulic simulations can provide detailed information, such as flood extent for different return periods, as well as water levels, critical tie rods, potential flooding points, water discharge, velocity, and sediment transport [40][41][42][43].…”