Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/D521222/1
Mapping and modelling water elevations for the Carlisle 2005 flood event.
Grant Award
- Principal Investigator:
- Dr M Horritt, University of Bristol, Civil Engineering
- Co-Investigator:
- Professor PD Bates, University of Bristol, Geographical Sciences
- Grant held at:
- University of Bristol, Civil Engineering
- Science Area:
- Freshwater
- Overall Classification:
- Freshwater
- ENRIs:
- Global Change
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Science Topics:
- Land - Atmosphere Interactions
- Survey & Monitoring
- Geohazards
- Climate & Climate Change
- Abstract:
- The January 2005 floods in Carlisle were the worst since 1862. Two people died as a direct result of the flood, 2 500 properties and buildings were under water, and 3 000 people were evacuated from their homes. The city's fire station, police station, bus depot and football ground were all flooded, and the damage caused is likely to approach #100 million. Such flood events are likely to become more common in the future as a result of climate change. Despite the impact of serious floods such as the Carlisle event, little is known about the behaviour of flood waters in the urban environment. Recent research into computer modelling of floods has improved our predictions in rural areas, but extending these results to towns and cities is not easy. We understand little about the interactions between flood flows and urban structures such as buildings, roads and gardens, and relatively small features such as individual houses and walls may have a significant effect on water levels in the surrounding area. Again computer models that can predict the behaviour of flood waters in urban areas can help, especially when linked to new technologies such as LiDAR, in which an aircraft mounted laser scanning system builds up a 3-D picture of an urban area, identifying features down to 1m in size. Other data can also be used, with the Ordnance Survey's electronic map data being particularly useful for identifying the sizes and locations of buildings. The main problem we have with this computer modelling approach to floods is a lack of test data. Without measurements of water elevations from real flood events, we have no way of knowing whether our model predictions are accurate, and using them to predict future events is difficult. In this project we propose to measure the maximum flood depths throughout Carlisle, by surveying high water marks on buildings and debris caught up in fences and trees. The survey will use Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to map water levels to centimetre accuracy, and use these measurements to build up a map of water levels in Carlisle. After the survey, a computer model will be set up to predict these water surface elevations according to our current understanding of how water flows along floodplains and through urban areas. Comparing the two sets of elevations will allow us to determine the accuracy of our models - and how much trust we can place in them to predict the effects of future flood events.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/D521222/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- Standard Grants Pre FEC
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Urgency
This grant award has a total value of £2,811
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - T&S |
|---|
| £2,811 |
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