Developing a Regional Model for Estimating Flood Mortality Regarding the Evacuation Time (Case Study: Kan Watershed)

Floods are one of the most important natural hazards causing many serious destruction and fatalities, especially in Iran. Despite recognizing the high number of fatalities due to floods, especially in recent years, there is not an acceptable/reliable model for mortality estimation.  The few presented models, that are intrinsicly valuable, are not enough for achieving the goals. The regional model presented in this paper employs hydraulic properties of floods and geometric characteristics of rivers for mortality estimation while considering the effect of available evacuation time in flood-prone areas. Based on the presented algorithm, the product of two hydraulic parameters: depth and flow velocity, presented in a raster format, are required for mortality simulation.  An exponential function was developed based on the relationship between the depth, velocity, and the number of observed fatalities in the corresponding floods. The model, employing the length and slope of the main channel as the two geomorphologic parameters of the river directly related to the flow hydraulics, is capable of considering the available time for the people at risk to evacuate the region. Finally, the developed model’s efficacy and accuracy were confirmed by comparing the results of the model with historical records and with that of the global/regional models.