A framework for Decision Support Systems for flood event management-application to the Thames and the Schelde Estuaries

There is a clear need for flood event managers to be able to improve the coordination of their response to flood events. The development of a flood event management Decision Support System (DSS) could assist flood event managers in this by providing information on the flood hazard, the receptors at risk and evacuation routes. This paper describes the development of a general framework for DSSs for flood event management. This framework has been piloted in the Thames Estuary in the UK and the Schelde Estuary in the Netherlands, resulting in the development of two prototype DSSs. Consultation with end users in the UK and the Netherlands indicated that a DSS for flood event management should provide the following: a database of “pre-run” flood events; mapping of the flood hazard; location of the receptors at risk (e.g. people, buildings, critical infrastructure); and details of safe havens and evacuation routes. The two DSSs allow users to compare hazards and risks related to flood event management, using the outputs from hydrodynamic and traffic management models.