Apart from the number of people living in flood-prone areas, the strength of the structure of houses and other buildings has a large effect on the number of casualties to be expected in the event flooding occurs. During the flood in 1953 in the western part of the Netherlands, over 1800 people drowned. In 1953, many houses were made of single-stone walls causing many deaths since houses constructed with single-stone walls are less sturdy and tend to collapse more easily when flooded than cavity wall houses. These days, most houses are built with concrete walls or cavity walls. Due to the increased strength of the structure of the houses and other buildings, the expected percentage of people living in flood-prone areas who may be killed by a flood has decreased since 1953. Other factors which are important when considering the risk of fatalities as the result of floods include the stream velocity, the rate of water-level rise, available escape time and the presence of escape routes. With this knowledge the available flood models can be improved which in turn means that the number of casualties and the total damage may be predicted more accurately and reliably. This is essential for all flood risk management studies.
Together with this R&D project, a project for the province of South Holland was carried out aimed at minimising potential flood damage in a low-lying polder where there are plans for new home construction. |
