La ciudad de Bahía Blanca se emplaza en la cuenca inferior del arroyo Napostá cuyo curso atraviesa el interior de la misma. Esta posición contribuye a que reciba el escurrimiento generado aguas arriba además de aumentar el peligro de inundación por sus crecidas. Sin embargo, distintas obras hidráulicas disminuyeron la ocurrencia de este tipo de problemáticas. El principal efecto de las precipitaciones intensas en la ciudad es el anegamiento en zonas de menor pendiente. En las zonas de mayor altitud el escurrimiento del agua erosiona las calles sin pavimentar y el material socavado es depositado en niveles inferiores. Conforme a lo expresado el objetivo general de la investigación fue el estudio de la hidrografía urbana aplicado a la solución de los problemas hidro-ambientales en la ciudad de Bahía Blanca. Los objetivos específicos fueron: caracterizar el comportamiento del escurrimiento superficial en la ciudad, determinar las modificaciones que se realizaron sobre las condiciones naturales del drenaje, conocer el comportamiento de los parámetros meteorológicos que definen el clima del área, caracterizar el comportamiento de las precipitaciones en el área, medir el valor de pH del agua de lluvia y analizar su distribución espacial, establecer los efectos de las precipitaciones intensas sobre la ciudad, identificar los sectores que actualmente presentan riesgo de inundación, analizar la dinámica del crecimiento urbano de la ciudad y establecer propuestas de ordenamiento que eviten el desarrollo de problemas hidro-ambientales. En la presente tesis se utilizó información altimétrica obtenida de cartografía topográfica e imágenes satelitales para combinarse con datos diversos a través de la aplicación de la tecnología de los Sistemas de Información Geográfica (SIG). Se incorporó una capa temática con la sistematización de las observaciones realizadas en el trabajo de campo y se digitalizaron los tendidos de desagües pluviales. El estudio conjunto de estos factores permitió reconocer la superposición de la red de drenaje natural con el parcelamiento, vías de circulación y diferentes tipos de cobertura. La información generada mostró la reconfiguración del patrón de escurrimiento que tomó características correspondientes con el diseño subdendrítico. Los montos acumulados de precipitación de distintos puntos de la ciudad expusieron una diferenciación que supera los 100 mm. Los mayores registros se han dado en el sector sur, donde se presentan dificultades para el escurrimiento y en el noreste de la ciudad, donde se han reconocido procesos erosivos. Los valores de pH del agua de lluvia registrados mostraron un leve aumento en comparación con los de la década del ochenta por lo que se advirtió un incremento en la condición de alcalinidad. La localización de los diferentes procesos derivados de las precipitaciones permitió definir la influencia de las condiciones naturales y de aquellas derivadas del proceso de urbanización. La forma dispersa en que se extiende la ciudad encarece el tendido de servicios y mantenimiento de las vías de circulación favoreciendo el surgimiento de estas problemáticas. Se presentaron distintas propuestas para que desde la planificación urbana se logre una gestión del drenaje que minimice el impacto hidrológico del crecimiento de la ciudad. / Bahia Blanca city is located in the lower basin of the Napostá creek. This location contributes to receive the runoff that is generated upstream and increases the flooding risk. However, different hydraulic constructions decreased the occurrence of this type of problem. The main effect of intense rainfalls over the city is the flooding in areas of lower slope. Moreover, at higher ground altitude water runoff causes two problems: the erosion of unpaved streets and the deposit the material eroded at lower levels Therefore, the general aim was to study the urban hydrography applied to the solution of environmental problems in the city of Bahia Blanca. The specific aims were: to characterize the surface runoff behavior, to define the changes that were made on natural drainage conditions, to analyze the meteorological parameters that determinate the area's climate, to characterize the rainfall behavior in the city, to measure the rainwate pH values and their spatial distribution, to define the incidente of intense precipitations over the city, to analyze the places that are currently at flooding risk, to understand the urban growth dynamics and to propose specific solutions to avoid the development of hydro-environmental problems. The present thesis used information obtained from topographic mapping altimetry and satellite images to be combined with with a variety of information through the application of the technology of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A thematic layer was incorporated with the field observations systematization and the urban drainage ducts were digitalized. The joint study of these factors helped to identify the overlapping natural drainage network with the urban parceling, roads and different types of coverage. The information generated allow to identified a reconfiguration of the runoff pattern design. Cumulative rainfall amounts from different city places showed a difference of over 100 mm. The higer records were registered in the south, where the runoff has difficulties to flow and in the northeast, where erosion processes has been recognized. The rainwater pH values of rainfall showed a slight increase compared to the records measured in the eighties. The location of the different processes generated by rainfalls helped to define the influence of natural conditions and those derived from the urbanization process. The dispersed way that the city is expanding urges the laying and maintenance of service roads favoring the emergence of these problems. Different proposals were presented to be implemented by the urban planning to achieve a drainage management that minimizes the hydrological impact of city growth.

En cas d’alerte aux inondations, l'information en temps réel et sa diffusion à un large public sont des éléments cruciaux pour limiter les comportements à risque, détecter les premiers dégâts ou préparer les acteurs locaux à gérer la crise. Face à ces enjeux, les technologies smartphones apparaissent, deplus en plus, comme des solutions logicielles et matérielles qui pourraient compléter de façon positiveles dispositifs d’alerte institutionnels, notamment grâce à la dynamique des contenus partagés et auxnombreuses interactions dont ils sont le support. Alors que plusieurs pays (États-Unis, Norvège, Pays-Bas, Suède, Philippines) utilisent déjà de tels outils, et même si le Ministère de l'Intérieur a lancé uneapplication urgentiste (SAIP) le 8 juin 2016, la population et les services de l’État semblent beaucoupplus réticents en France. La défense de la propriété individuelle, le manque de crédit attribué auxmessages postés et les verrous technologiques sont les principaux facteurs de blocage avancés. Aprèsavoir mené une enquête dans plusieurs communes rurales des départements du Var et du Vaucluse(qui confirme la méconnaissance des applications déjà existantes alors que les besoins sont bien réelsface aux crues rapides), une nouvelle application a été développée (Al’in). Le prototype créé vise àréduire les écarts entre une approche étatique descendante (top-down), qui positionne et impose l’Étatcomme le seul lanceur d’alerte, et une initiative citoyenne (approche « Bottom-Up »), qui érigel’individu au rang de « citoyen capteur », à la fois capable de remonter ou de diffuser une alerte àtravers l’usage de son smartphone. Répondre à ce défi ne s’avère toutefois pas si simple au regard descontraintes juridiques et techniques préexistantes en France. / The information given on flash floods in real time should undoubtedly answers to the citizens needs aswell as to the politic and the safety services. Face to such objective, Smartphone could positivelycomplete the official institutional systems, especially thanks to the dynamic and nature of postedmessages, and to the social interactions they support. This study questions the opportunity ofdeveloping a proactive and innovative alert system using the Smartphone technologies to face therisks due to flash flood hazards. A first study focuses on several alert systems existing actually inFrance but we quickly aim at identifying limits (legal rules, technologies and scientific problems) andchallenges usefulness and opportunities in the numeric sphere) of our objective in general manner.Finally, a local study in Var and Vaucluse permits us to see if population and local stakeholdersshould be interested (or not) by a smartphone application. The proposed solution tries to achieve amajor challenge: reducing the gap between a state approach (top-down), which positions and imposedthe state as the main official alert source, and the citizen action (bottom-up) which establishes theindividual as “Citizen sensor” (both in go up or disseminate information) through the use of issmartphone. Meeting this challenge is indispensable if we hope effectively minimizing material andhuman damages especially when high temporal acuity phenomena such as flash floods happen.

Cottonwoods (Populus sp.) and willows (Salix sp.) are generally limited to riparian landscapes in semi-arid regions of western North America. Water availability is a major determining factor for the establishment, growth and survival of these plants. Willows generally occur closer to the stream and at lower elevations than cottonwoods, suggesting reduced drought tolerance and increased flood tolerance. In the present thesis project, three related studies were conducted to investigate this hypothesis. Firstly, tolerable rates of water table decline and the impacts of the corresponding drought stress were investigated by growing cottonwoods and willows under water table decline rates from 0 to 12 cm/d. Willow saplings responded similarly to cottonwood saplings, but willow seedlings were more vulnerable than cottonwood seedlings to rapid rates of water table decline. In the second study, will saplings tolerated elevated water tables of 0 to 7.5 cm below substrate surface and the resulting flood stress for 152 days slightly better than cottonwood saplings. Finally, mature cottonwoods along Willow Creek, Alberta experienced water table decline from 1996 to 1998 due to water pumping in a nearby gravel pit; the water table recovered in 1999. The cottownwoods displayed physiological changes indicating drought stress in 1998 and recovered following restoration of the water table. This confirmed the cottonwoods' reliance on the water table as their primary moisture source. These studies indicate that the spatial separation of willows and cottonwoods may be particularly related to reduced drought tolerance of willows and these display only slightly increased flood tolerance of willos and these display only slightly increased flood tolerances. The studies confirm that both willows and cottonwoods are physiologically dependent on a sufficient riparian water table. / 85 leaves : ill. ; 28 cm.

Access to abstract permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / Access to thesis permanently restricted to Ball State community only. / Department of Geography

La bordure septentrionale du Vénézuela (bordure méridionale de la Plaque Caraïbe) correspond pour l’essentiel à un relais de grandes failles décrochantes actives, génératrice d’une marge escarpée et accidentée (Sud de la Mer Caraïbe, Fosse et Golfe de Cariaco, Fig. 1). Cette région est donc exposée à trois sources d’aléas naturels : 1) séismes et effets directs, 2) tsunamis (liés à ces failles, à l’activité plus lointaine des Arcs Antillais, ou à des glissements sous-marins), 3) glissements et coulées aériens, parfois liés à des événements climatiques brutaux (cf. flash flood de Vargas, Décembre 1999). Le deuxième et le troisième type de phénomènes affectent directement la sédimentation soit marine (littoral et plateforme) soit lagunaire ou lacustre. Par ailleurs, les dernières variations globales (rapides) du niveau marin ont subdivisé et structuré l’empilement sédimentaire.La partie récente de ces dépôts (env. 150 000 à 200 000 ans) a fait l’objet de deux campagnes préliminaires d’imagerie sismique à haute résolution, la première consacrée à la partie orientale (Golfe de Cariaco; Audemard et al., 2007 ; Van Daele et al., 2010) et la seconde au littoral central (entre Cabo Codera et la Golfe Triste, Fig. 2). Cette seconde mission sera complétée par une nouvelle acquisition d’imagerie et la prise de carottes courtes en mer et dans les lagunes côtières. L'interprétation des sections sismiques et l'analyse sédimentologique des carottes sera utilisé pour ce travail de thèse avec un double but : 1) reconstituer l’évolution générale de la sédimentation sur la marge, et l’influence des changements environnementaux globaux, 2) connaître la distribution géographique et dans le temps (pour une période d’au moins 100 000 ans) des phénomènes catastrophiques majeurs (séismes, tsunamis, flash floods) qui se sont intercalés dans cette sédimentation. L’impact possible de la superposition de phénomènes externes et sismo-tectoniques (cf. récent séismes de Tucacas pendant un épisode pluvieux) et la localisation des zones à risques pour les tsunamis, seront modélisés et discutés. / The northern border of Venezuela (southern border of the Caribbean Plate) corresponds essentially to a relay of large active strike-slip faults, generating a steep and rugged margin (South of the Caribbean Sea, Pit and Gulf of Cariaco, Fig. 1). This region is therefore exposed to three sources of natural hazards: 1) earthquakes and direct effects, 2) tsunamis (related to these faults, to the more distant activity of the West Indies bows, or to submarine landslides), 3) slips and airflows, sometimes linked to sudden climatic events (see Vargas flash flood, December 1999). The second and third types of phenomena directly affect sedimentation, whether marine (littoral and platform), lagoon or lacustrine. In addition, the latest global (fast) changes in the sea level have subdivided and structured the sedimentary stack.The recent part of these deposits (about 150 000 to 200 000 years ago) was the subject of two preliminary high resolution seismic imaging campaigns, the first devoted to the eastern part (Gulf of Cariaco, Audemard et al. 2007, Van Daele et al., 2010) and the second at the central coast (between Cabo Codera and the Sad Gulf, Fig. 2). This second mission will be complemented by a new imaging acquisition and the taking of short cores at sea and in coastal lagoons. The interpretation of the seismic sections and the sedimentological analysis of the cores will be used for this work of thesis with a double aim: 1) to reconstruct the general evolution of the sedimentation on the margin, and the influence of the global environmental changes, 2) to know the geographical distribution and over time (for a period of at least 100,000 years) major catastrophic phenomena (earthquakes, tsunamis, flash floods) that have interbedded in this sedimentation. The possible impact of the superposition of external and seismo-tectonic phenomena (see the recent Tucacas earthquakes during a rainy episode) and the location of tsunami risk areas will be modeled and discussed.

This research aims to understand the perception of civil society both organized and unorganized, regarding the problem of floods and their management. This is based on a case study of the following municipalities; Calonge, Torroella de Montgrí and Tossa de Mar. This is achieved through a mixed methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative aspects and applies three complementary techniques of data collection: a) surveys of residents in flood-prone areas; b) interviews with mayors and technical environments within each of the respective municipalities of the study, and c) Focus Groups sessions with civil society representatives previously defined. The main results show that the flood experience is a determinant to know social perception of flood risk and structural measures have great support by local authorities and residents of areas prone to flooding. However, organized civil society prefers to enhance non-structural measures for the protection and management of flood risk. / La presente investigación pretende dar a conocer la percepción de la sociedad civil organizada y no organizada respecto a las inundaciones y su gestión, a partir de un caso de estudio configurado por los municipios de Calonge, Torroella de Montgrí y Tossa de Mar. Para ello se desarrolla una metodología mixta que combina aspectos cualitativos y cuantitativos y se aplican tres técnicas complementarias de recolección de datos: a) encuestas a los residentes de las zonas expuestas a las inundaciones; b) entrevistas a los alcaldes y técnicos de medio ambiente de cada uno de los respectivos municipios de estudio; y c) sesiones de Focus Groups con representantes de la sociedad civil previamente definidos. Los principales resultados establecen que la experiencia con las inundaciones es determinante en la percepción de este riesgo y que las medidas estructurales presentan un gran soporte tanto por parte de las autoridades locales como de los residentes de las zonas expuestas a las inundaciones. Sin embargo, la sociedad civil organizada prefiere potenciar las medidas no estructurales destinadas a la protección y convivencia con el riesgo de inundación.

Between 1865 and 1915, arroyos developed in the southwestern United States across diverse hydrological, ecological and cultural settings. That they developed simultaneously has encouraged the search for a common cause-- some phenomenon that was equally widespread and synchronous. There are few southwestern streams for which we have even a qualitative understanding of timelines and processes involved in initiation and extension of historic arroyos. Tucson's Santa Cruz River, often cited in the arroyo literature, offers a unique opportunity to chronicle the arroyo legacy and evaluate its causes. The present study reconstructs both the physical and cultural circumstances of channel entrenchment along the Santa Cruz River. Primary data include newspaper accounts, notes and plants of General Land Office surveys, eyewitness accounts, legal depositions, and repeat photography. On the Santa Cruz River, arroyo initiation and extension happened during relatively wet decades associated with frequent warm episodes in the tropical Pacific (El Niño conditions). Intensified El Niño activity during the period 1864-1891 may be symptomatic of long-term climatic change, perhaps indicative of global warming and destabilization of Pacific climate at the end of the Little Ice Age. During this period all but one of the years registering more than three days with rain exceeding 2.54 cm (1 in) in Tucson were El Niño events. The one exception was the summer of 1890, when the central equatorial Pacific was relatively cold but when prevailing low-surface pressures and low-level winds nevertheless steered tropical moisture from the west coast of Mexico into southern Arizona. In the twentieth century, catastrophic channel widening was caused by floods during El Niño events in 1905, 1915, 1977 and 1983. The Santa Cruz River arroyo formed when climatic conditions heightened the probabilities for occurrence of large floods in southern Arizona. Inadequate engineering of ditches that resulted in abrupt changes in the longitudinal profile of the stream further augmented probabilities that any one of these floods would initiate an arroyo. In the future, changing flood probabilities with low-frequency climatic fluctuations and improved flow conveyance due to intensified land use and channel stabilization will further complicate management of the arroyo in an increasingly urbanized floodplain.

Thesis (M.Sc. (Geography)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / Floods are one of the major natural hazards that occur with devastating effects globally. South Africa is one of the countries that is affected as flooding frequently occurs at different sub-national scales and with devastating impacts on human settlements. The variability of the nature, impact and frequency of flood occurrence in the country has heightened interest in the assessment and determination of flooding vulnerability, particularly in areas that have been affected or are likely to be affected in the near future. Given the uncertainties surrounding flood occurrence and the enormous damages resulting from the events, this study sought to assess the vulnerability of settlements to floods in Ward 7 and 9 of Lephalale Local Municipality. To accomplish this, both primary and secondary sources of data were used in this study. A mixture of closed-ended and open-ended household questionnaire, which was administered to 133 and 227 randomly selected households in Ward 7 and 9 respectively was used. In addition, a vulnerability index was developed using an indicator approach in order to determine levels of flood vulnerability in the study areas. Indicators were identified, grouped and normalised using the standardization method, then weighted using pairwise comparison method. The various indicators were then aggregated through a linear summation method into a vulnerability index. This index was subsequently used to produce a vulnerability map showing the spatial pattern of the different flood vulnerability levels in the studied areas. The results reveal that socioeconomic as well as physical factors influence settlements’ vulnerability to flooding disasters. Furthermore, the vulnerability index map showed that Ward 7 was more vulnerable to flooding, with an average index of about 0.16 while Ward 9 was less vulnerable, with an average flood vulnerability index of 0,07. The vulnerability map also indicated that out of the total land area of 13.54km2 occupied by settlements in Ward 7, 9.38 km2 was very vulnerable, 2.27km2 highly vulnerable and 1.89km2 had low vulnerability. In Ward 9, about 4.44km2 of settlements land was experiencing low vulnerability while 29.96km2 experienced very low levels of vulnerability. The study concludes that the high vulnerability of Ward 7 was a result of an interplay of factors that include its nearness to the stream, a high proportion of low-lying land, land use type and high population densities. The results of this study can serve as a basis for targeting prioritization efforts, emergency response measures, and policy interventions at the ward level for minimizing flood disaster vulnerability in municipal areas. The study recommends that flood vulnerability assessments should integrate socio-economic characteristics with physical factors in order to adequately assess vulnerability and therefore enable municipalities to anticipate floods and plan for them. / University of Limpopo Staff Financial Assistance, Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre and VLIR

Thesis (M. Sc. (Statistics)) -- University of Limpopo, 2021 / The effects of ozone depletion on climate change has, in recent years, become a reality, impacting on changes in rainfall patterns and severity of extreme floods or extreme droughts. The majority of people across the entire African continent live in semi-arid and drought-prone areas. Extreme droughts are prevalent in Somalia and eastern Africa, while life-threatening floods are common in Mozambique and some parts of other SADC (Southern African Development Community) countries. Research has cautioned that climate change in South Africa might lead to increased temperatures and reduced amounts of rainfall, thereby altering their timing and putting more pressure on the country’s scarce water resources, with implications for agriculture, employment and food security. The average annual rainfall for South Africa is about 464mm, falling far below the average annual global rainfall of 860mm. The Limpopo Province, which is one of the nine provinces in South Africa, and of interest to this study, is predominantly agrarian, basically relying on availability of water, with rainfall being the major source for water supply. It is, therefore, pertinent that the rainfall pattern in the province be monitored effectively to ascertain the rainy period for farming activities and other uses. Modelling and forecasting rainfall have been studied for a long time worldwide. However, from time to time, researchers are always looking for new models that can predict rainfall more accurately in the midst of climate change and capture the underlying dynamics such as seasonality and the trend, attributed to rainfall. This study employed Exponetial Smoothing (ETS) State Space and Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) models and compared their forecasting ability using root mean square error (RMSE). Both models were used to capture the sporadic behaviour of rainfall. These two models have been widely applied to climatic data by many scholars and adjudged to perform creditably well. In an attempt to find a suitable prediction model for monthly rainfall patterns in Limpopo Province, data ranging from January 1900 to December 2015, for seven weather stations: Macuville Agriculture, Mara Agriculture, Marnits, Groendraal, Letaba, Pietersburg Hospital and Nebo, were analysed. The results showed that the two models were adequate in predicting rainfall patterns for the different stations in the Limpopo Province. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

Bakgrund: Klimatförändringarnas effekter globalt som på lokal nivå, kan redan noteras. För skyfallsöversvämningar har det ökat och kommer öka än mer framöver. Olika sektorer i ett samhälle påverkas när en stad översvämmas, varav en stor grupp består av samhällets medborgare. Individer upplever skyfall som oförutsägbara och slumpmässiga. Konsekvenserna efter en skyfallsöversvämning har effekt på både de sociotekniska och socioekonomiska dimensionerna för en individ på kort och lång sikt. Med detta perspektiv anses det intressant att undersöka hur individer resonerar kring framtida skyfallsöversvämningar på lokal nivå. Studien avgränsas till privata fastighetsägare, då tidigare forskning pekar på att de som äger sin egen bostad är mer benägna att anta skyddande anpassningar på sina enskilda fastigheter, vilket antas bidra till den totala samhällssäkerheten. Syftet: Syftet med studien var att öka förståelsen för privata fastighetsägares syn på skyfall som leder till översvämning och hur det motiverar dem att vilja skydda sin privata fastighet innan en översvämning sker. Metod: Studiens kvalitativa forskningsinriktning utgick från en hermeneutisk vetenskapsteori med inriktning åt samhälls- och beteendevetenskap. Datainsamlingen genomfördes som semi-strukturerade intervjuer som analyserades utifrån en kvalitativ konventionell innehållsanalysmetod med induktiv ansats. Totalt genomfördes sex kvalitativa intervjuer. Områdesurvalet utgick från ett strategiskt icke-sannolikhetsbaserat urval medan respondenturvalet var ett icke-slumpmässigt bekvämlighetsurval. En testintervju genomfördes innan själva studien påbörjades, för att säkerställa att frågorna var relevanta. Som teoretiskt ramverk valdes Protection motivation theory för att fånga upp likheter och skillnader i individers resonemang kopplat till skyfallsöversvämningar. Resultat: Det induktiva analysförfarandet resulterade i tre huvudkategorier och nio underkategorier. Förmågor, riskhantering och samhällspåverkan belyser olika perspektiv hur privata fastighetsägare resonerar kring sin kapacitet innan en skyfallsöversvämning sker. Kunskapsbrist och individnivån; intra- och interpersonlighet inverkar på individernas förmågor och beslut. Medan valet av anpassningar av fastigheten vägdes mellan kostnaden i relation till tid och nyttovärdet. Vidare pekade resultatet på att samhällspåverkan var bidragande till en känsla av utsatthet, detta främst inom ansvarsfördelning och information hos respondenterna då de upplevde ett beroendesamband till kommunen och försäkringsbolagen. Utmärkande för studien: Respondenterna upplever skyfallsöversvämningar som ett abstrakt fenomen, vilket påvisas av en uttalad kunskapsbrist kopplat till området. Vidare har tidsfaktorn tillsammans med ansvarskostnaden inverkan på hur nyttovärdet av en anpassning upplevs. Mest framträdande är hur den sociala omgivningen tillsammans med individens självförmåga kan påverka riskbedömning och hanteringsförmåga i relation till skyfallsöversvämningar. Slutligen upplever den undersökta populationen privata fastighetsägare samhällspåverkan i form av beroendesamband och utsatthet till både kommun och försäkringsbolag, vilket pekar på att individperspektivet med inriktning på hantering av skyfallsrisker bör inkluderas i framtida forskning. / Background: The effects of climate change globally as well as at the local level can already be noted. Pluvial flood events have increased and will increase even more in the future. Different sectors of a society are affected when a city is flooded, of which a large group consists of the citizens of the society. Individuals experience extreme rains as unpredictable and random. The consequences after pluvial floods have an effect on both the socio-technical and socio-economic dimensions of an individual in the short and long term. With this perspective it is considered interesting to do research, to capture how individuals reason about future pluvial floods, at the local level. The study is limited to private property owners, as previous research indicates that those who own their home are more aware and prone to adopt protective adaptations to protect their property, which is assumed to contribute to overall social security. Purpose: The aim of the study was to increase the understanding of private property owners´ views on pluvial floods that lead to flooding and how it motivates them to want to protect their private property before a flood occurs. Method: The qualitative research was based on a hermeneutic theory of science with a focus on social and behavioural sciences. The data collection was conducted as semi-structured interviews. The collected data material was analyzed by applying a qualitative conventional content analysis method with an inductive approach. A total of six qualitative interviews were conducted. The area of the sample was based on a strategic non-probability sample, while the respondent sample was a non-random convenience sample. A test interview was conducted before the actual study began, to ensure that the questions were relevant. The Protection Motivation Theory, was chosen as the theoretical framework to capture similarities and differences in the individuals´ reasoning, linked to pluvial floods. Results: The inductive analysis procedure resulted in three main categories and nine sub-categories. Abilities, risk management and societal impact shed light on perspectives on how private property owners’ reason about their abilities before a pluvial flood occurs. Lack of knowledge and the level of the individual; intra- and interpersonal levels affect individuals´ inner abilities and decisions. While the choice of adaptations of the property was weighed between the cost in relation to time and utility value. Furthermore, the results indicated that social impact was contributing to a feeling of vulnerability, mainly within the division of responsibilities and information among the respondents when they experienced a dependency relationship with the municipality and the insurance companies. Characteristic of the study: The respondents experience pluvial floods as an abstract phenomenon, which is expressed as a lack of knowledge linked to the area of research. Furthermore, the time factor together with the cost of liability has an impact on how the utility value of the adaptation measure is perceived. Most prominent is how the social environment together with the individual´s self-efficacy can affect risk assessment and coping ability in relation to pluvial floods. Finally, the surveyed population of private property owners’ experiences societal impact in the form of dependency and vulnerability to both municipality and insurance companies, which indicates that the individual perspective with a focus on managing pluvial flood risks, should be included in future research.