Evaluating Metropolitan Flood Coping Capabilities under Heavy Storms
Publication: Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 24, Issue 6
Abstract
A large city surrounded by mountains like Hong Kong is susceptible to both flash floods in midmountain areas and local flooding in low-lying areas when a large rainstorm occurs. Severe rainstorms tend to be more frequent under a changing climate. Hence, it is essential to simulate rainfall-runoff processes in the urban area and evaluate flood coping strategies. This paper presents a model that is capable of simulating the overland flow process and underground drainage hydraulics simultaneously, based on detailed topographic, rainfall, and drainage network information about the northern Hong Kong Island. The model was calibrated with a flood-extent map and further validated with a flood event in June 2008. Using the model, the flood hazards associated with flood coping projects in three phases were simulated. Although these flooding control measures were intended to meet a major societal need for alleviating flooding problems and are shown to be effective in alleviating local flooding, the densely urbanized area may still suffer flooding when severe storm events occur. Hence, new strategies are needed to cope with the urban flood risk under more critical storms.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank the Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) of the Civil Engineering and Development Department for providing the high-resolution LiDAR data. This research was supported by the Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong SAR Government (Nos. C6012-15G and 16206217).
References
AECOM (Architecture, Engineering, Consulting, Operations and Maintenance). 2010. An innovative approach to landslide prevention: The Po Shan tunnel landslide preventive works project. Hong Kong: AECOM Asia Company Limited.
Ahn, K. H., and V. Merwade. 2016. “Role of watershed geomorphic characteristics on flooding in Indiana, United States.” J. Hydrol. Eng. 21 (2): 05015021. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001289.
Alley, W. M., and P. E. Smith. 1982. Multi-event urban runoff quality model (DR3M-QUAL). Reston, VA: USGS.
Aquaveo. 2016. “Watershed modelling system.” Aquaveo, LLC, Provo, Utah. Accessed February 1, 2018. http://www.aquaveo.com.
Biondi, D., and D. L. De Luca. 2013. “Performance assessment of a Bayesian forecasting system (BFS) for real-time flood forecasting.” J. Hydrol. 479: 51–63. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.11.019.
Blake, E. S., T. B. Kimberlain, R. J. Berg, J. P. Cangialosi, and J. L. Beven II. 2013. Vol. 12 of Tropical cyclone report: Hurricane sandy, 1–10. Miami, FL: National Hurricane Center.
Chau, K. W., and J. H. Lee. 1991. “Mathematical modelling of Shing Mun river network.” Adv. Water Resour. 14 (3): 106–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/0309-1708(91)90001-5.
Chen, A. S., B. Evans, S. Djordjević, and D. A. Savić. 2012. “A coarse-grid approach to representing building blockage effects in 2D urban flood modelling.” J. Hydrol. 426–427: 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2012.01.007.
Chen, H. X., and L. M. Zhang. 2015. “EDDA 1.0: Integrated simulation of debris flow erosion, deposition and property changes.” Geosci. Model Dev. 8 (3): 829–844. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-8-829-2015.
Chen, J., A. A. Hill, and L. D. Urbano. 2009. “A GIS-based model for urban flood inundation.” J. Hydrol. 373 (1–2): 184–192. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2009.04.021.
Chu, H. C. K. 2005. “Flood prevention and drainage modelling in Hong Kong.” Drainage Services Department, Hong Kong. Accessed February 1, 2018. www.internationalfloodnetwork.org/AR2006/AR11Chu.pdf.
Deltares. 2011. Delft3D-FLOW user manual version 3.15. Delft, Netherlands: Deltares.
DHI (Danish Hydraulic Institute). 2008. “MIKE-Urban, DHI Water, and Environment.” Accessed February 1, 2018. http://www.dhigroup.com/.
DSD (Drainage Services Department). 2000. Stormwater drainage manual: Planning, design and management. Hong Kong: DSD.
DSD (Drainage Services Department). 2014. Sheung Wan stormwater pumping station. Hong Kong: DSD.
DSD (Drainage Services Department). 2016. Happy Valley underground stormwater storage scheme. Hong Kong: DSD.
EPD (Environmental Protection Department). 2001. Drainage improvement in Northern Hong Kong Island—Hong Kong west drainage tunnel. Hong Kong: EPD.
Evans, R. A., L. C. T. Wong, C. Cheung, F. F. K. Pong, and L. S. Y. Lee. 2012. Hong Kong west drainage tunnel: Review of key geotechnical aspects. Hong Kong: Ove Arup & Partners Hong Kong, Ltd.
Fletcher, T., H. Duncan, P. Poelsma, and S. Lloyd. 2004. Stormwater flow and quality and the effectiveness of non-proprietary stormwater treatment measures: A review and gap analysis. Clayton, Australia: Cooperative Research Centre for Catchment Hydrology, Monash Univ.
FLO-2D Software, Inc. 2015. FLO-2D pro version: Two-dimensional flood routing model storm drain manual. Nutrioso, AZ: FLO-2D Software, Inc.
Gao, L., L. M. Zhang, H. X. Chen, and P. Shen. 2016. “Simulating debris flow mobility in urban settings.” Eng. Geol. 214: 67–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enggeo.2016.10.001.
Gao, L., L. M. Zhang, and M. Lu. 2017. “Characterizing the spatial variations and correlations of large rainstorms for landslide study.” Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. 21 (9): 4573–4589. https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-21-4573-2017.
Garcia, R., J. J. Rodríguez, and J. S. O’Brien. 2004. “Hazard zone delineation for urbanized alluvial fans.” In Proc., World Water and Environmental Resources Congress. Reston, VA: ASCE.
Government of the HKSAR (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region). 2018. “GeoInfo map.” Accessed February 1, 2018. http://www2.map.gov.hk/gih3/view/index.jsp.
Green, W. H., and G. A. Ampt. 1911. “Studies on soil physics. I: Flow of air and water through soils.” J. Agric. Sci. 4 (1): 1–24. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0021859600001441.
HKSAR Government Press Releases. 2008. “Flooding problem in the central and western district.” Hong Kong Government. Accessed March 18, 2019. https://www.info.gov.hk/gia/general/200806/25/P200806250472.htm.
Hu, S., and S. C. Kot. 1997. “Numerical model of tides in Pearl River estuary with moving boundary.” J. Hydraul. Eng. 123 (1): 21–29. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)0733-9429(1997)123:1(21).
Huber, W. C., and R. E. Dickinson. 1988. “Stormwater management model.” Accessed March 18, 2019. www.dynsystem.com/netstorm/docs/swmm4manuals.pdf.
Huber, W. C., L. A. Rossman, and R. A. Dickinson. 2005. “EPA storm water management model SWMM 5.0.” In Watershed modeling. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
Hunt, A., and P. Watkiss. 2011. “Climate change impacts and adaptation in cities: A review of the literature.” Clim. Change 104 (1): 13–49. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-010-9975-6.
IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change). 2014. Climate change 2014: Synthesis report: Contribution of working Groups I, II and III to the fifth assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Geneva: IPCC.
Kjeldsen, T. R., H. Kim, C. H. Jang, and H. Lee. 2016. “Evidence and implications of nonlinear flood response in a small mountainous watershed.” J. Hydrol. Eng. 21 (8): 04016024. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001343.
Kumar, A., D. Pickles, F. Whyte, and H. K. M. Lawrence. 2012. “Development and calibration of a hydraulic model for HATS conveyance system using InfoWorks CS model.” In Proc., HKIE Civil Division Int. Conf. 2012. Hong Kong: Drainage Services Dept. Technical Manual.
Li, Y., J. Chen, M. Peart, L. Sun, and W. Lok. 2009. “Flash flood hydrologic processes of a small headwater catchment in Hong Kong.” In Advances in water resources and hydraulic engineering, 66–71. Berlin: Springer.
Lindberg, S., J. B. Nielson, and R. Carr. 1989. “An integrated PC-modelling system for hydraulic analysis of drainage systems.” In Proc., 1st Australian Conf. on Technical Computing in the Water Industry (WATERCOMP’89), 127–130. Melbourne, Australia: Institution of Engineers.
McFeat-Smith, I. 2000. “Current and future tunneling works in Hong Kong for the years 2000–2010.” In Proc., Int. Conf. on Tunnels and Underground Structures, 107. Rotterdam, Netherlands: CRC Press.
Meon, G., H. B. Kleeberg, K. Röttcher, and H. G. Spanknebel. 2006. Flood hazard map guidelines of the German working group of the federal states on water issues (LAWA). Germany: Bund/Länder-Arbeitsgemeinschaft Wasser.
Morsy, M. M., J. L. Goodall, F. M. Shatnawi, and M. E. Meadows. 2016. “Distributed stormwater controls for flood mitigation within urbanized watersheds: Case study of Rocky Branch Watershed in Columbia, South Carolina.” J. Hydrol. Eng. 21 (11): 05016025. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001430.
Rahman, M. M., Z. Lin, X. Jia, D. D. Steele, and T. M. DeSutter. 2014. “Impact of subsurface drainage on streamflows in the Red River of the North basin.” J. Hydrol. 511: 474–483. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhydrol.2014.01.070.
Shen, X., Y. Hong, K. Zhang, and Z. Hao. 2017. “Refining a distributed linear reservoir routing method to improve performance of the CREST model.” J. Hydrol. Eng. 22 (3): 04016061. https://doi.org/10.1061/(ASCE)HE.1943-5584.0001442.
Swiss Re. 2013. Mind the risk: A global ranking of cities under threat from natural disasters. Zurich, Switzerland: Swiss Re.
Wallingford Software. 2000. InfoWorks CS online help. Oxfordshire, UK: Wallingford Software.
Wang, G., D. Wang, K. E. Trenberth, A. Erfanian, M. Yu, M. G. Bosilovich, and D. T. Parr. 2017. “The peak structure and future changes of the relationships between extreme precipitation and temperature.” Nat. Clim. Change 7 (4): 268–274. https://doi.org/10.1038/nclimate3239.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydrologic Engineering
Volume 24 • Issue 6 • June 2019
Copyright
©2019 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Feb 11, 2018
Accepted: Jan 9, 2019
Published online: Mar 30, 2019
Published in print: Jun 1, 2019
Discussion open until: Aug 30, 2019
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.