Central OC Times

Cities worldwide are facing increased flooding due to stronger storms and urban growth. New research from the University of California, Irvine indicates that the urban form, specifically building density and street networks, also affects flood severity.

In a paper published in Nature Communications, researchers from UC Irvine’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering introduced a new analytical model based on statistical mechanics. This model allows urban planners to assess flood risks related to land development changes more easily.

Mohammad Javad Abdolhosseini Qomi, associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at UC Irvine, explained their approach: "Application of statistical mechanics has yielded an analytical model that can project neighborhood-scale flood hazards anywhere in the world. We can probe differences between cities experiencing flood hazards. The platform has been demonstrated to show links between flood losses, urban form and observed rainfall extremes."

Lead author Sarah Balaian emphasized the urgency of this research: "We can expect the future to be marked by more severe weather events and concentrated masses of people, many of whom lack the means of protection or escape, will be heavily affected by urban flooding." She added that inadequate data currently makes detailed modeling impossible for many cities.

Brett Sanders, UC Irvine Chancellor’s Professor of civil and environmental engineering and professor of urban planning and public policy, noted how thousands of flood simulations across different urban forms enabled their findings. "We created a physics-based dataset of flood depth and velocity for types of city layouts seen globally," Sanders said. "The equation can also be taught in our classes so that the next generation of civil engineers is able to anticipate the potential impacts of land development on flood hazards."

This project was supported financially by UC Irvine’s Henry Samueli School of Engineering, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Department of Education.

About UC Irvine’s Brilliant Future campaign:

Publicly launched on Oct. 4, 2019, this campaign aims to raise awareness and support for UC Irvine by engaging 75,000 alumni and garnering $2 billion in philanthropic investment.

About the University of California, Irvine:

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the Association of American Universities. It ranks among the nation’s top 10 public universities according to U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates.

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