C. halicacabum (Sapindaceae) is an invasive plant that is considered a nuisance species in Texas riparian environments. Little is known of the tolerance of C. halicacabum to flooding and drought; however, this information may provide insight into the characteristics that contribute to C. halicacabum purported invasiveness. C. halicacabum seedlings (n = 92) were exposed to one of four levels of water availability (flooded, saturated, intermediate and dry) over six weeks under greenhouse conditions. Plant performance was affected by water availability; however, there was no effect on survivorship. Flooded and saturated plants exhibited morphological adaptations; producing adventitious roots, hypertrophy, and aerenchyma tissue. Morphological measures, anatomical responses, and patterns of biomass allocation all indicate that C. halicacabum is able to survive periodic inundation, perform in saturation, and establish and thrive on the drier end of a moisture gradient.

Flooding in New England is often seen as a coastal concern, but inland, in the mountainous rural communities of New England, river floods present serious threats to communities and livelihoods. Recent large storm events such as Tropical Storm Irene, and rising concerns over climate change, have catalyzed conversations over the vulnerability of communities across inland New England to flooding. This thesis examines two very different watershed organizations in New England; the White River Partnership and Deerfield Creating Resilient Communities. Both are working towards flood resilience in their communities. My approach is not to judge “best practices” or to evaluate what is better about one versus the other, but rather to highlight a range of approaches, institutions, policies and applications that enable flood resilience. By examining two very different institutions in depth, I will identify, explain and explore a variety of ways in which regional watershed partnerships can build partnerships and improve local flood resilience.

Abstract Physical Sciences and Engineering Division Mechanical Engineering Department Master of Science Optimisation of Lagrangian Flash Flood Microsensors Dropped by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle by Mohammed Abdulaal Floods are the most common natural disasters, causing thousands of casualties every year in the world. In particular, ash ood events are particularly deadly because of the short timescales on which they occur. Classical sensing solutions such as xed wireless sensor networks or satellite imagery are either too expensive or too inaccurate. Nevertheless, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles equipped with mobile microsensors could be capable of sensing ash oods in real time for a low overall cost, saving lives and greatly improving the e ciency of the emergency response. Using ood simulation data, we show that this system could be used to detect ash oods. We also present an ongoing implementation of this system using 3D printed sensors and sensor delivery systems on a UAV testbed as well as some preliminary results.

The aim of this thesis is to find method for flood monitoring from radar images. The thesis deals with flood in general and with organization of flood protection. There are described principles of radar sensors. There is also summary of satellites with their parameters. Next part of the thesis describes interaction between radar beam and different types of surface. Theoretical part is closed by overview of the existing methods for flood monitoring. In the practical part there is method for flood monitoring applied to areas affected by flood. The process is based on the classification of the radar image. Using classification and digital elevation model is drawn boundary of flooded area. The result boundaries are compared with the existing maximal flooded areas.

No description available.

This dissertation is put together from a set of three journal papers. The first paper describes how satellite imagery and spacecraft autonomy are used to advance the field of near real-time detection, monitoring, and rapid response to flooding. The second paper describes the ground instrumentation of an artificial water recharge basin field site close to Tucson with a network of inter-connected sensors to study the transient process of repeated flooding in real-time, and the third paper describes an effort to link together multiple ground-based and space-based remote sensing assets to an integrated and coordinated monitoring system for floods. Collectively, the three papers describe new breakthroughs in the field of flood detection and monitoring through the use of satellite onboard automation and Sensorweb networks.

Loss prevention and distribution must begin well before a flood event at multiple levels. However, the benchmarks and terminology we use to manage and communicate flood risk may be working against this goal. U.S. flood policy is based upon a flood with a one percent chance of occurring in any year. Commonly called the "hundred year flood," it has been upheld as a policy criterion, but many have questioned the effectiveness of hundred year flood terminology in public communication. This research examined public perceptions of the hundred year flood and evaluated the comparative effectiveness of this term and two other methods used to frame the benchmark flood: a flood with a one percent chance of occurring in any year and a flood with a 26 percent chance of occurring in thirty years. This research also explored how flooding and flood risk messages fit into the larger context of people's lives by modeling the relationships between flood related understanding, attitude and behavior and the situational and cognitive contexts in which these factors are embedded. The final goal was to come up with locally based suggestions for improving flood risk communication. Data were collected in the Towns of Union and Vestal, New York. Participants were adult residents of single family homes living in one of two FEMA designated floodplains. Face to face surveys and focus groups were used to gather information on respondents' flood experience and loss mitigation activities; general perception of flood risk and cause; flood information infrastructure; perceptions associated with specific flood risk descriptions; and basic demographic data. Focus groups were also asked to suggest improvements to flood risk communication. Results indicated that experience was the most influential factor in perception and behavior. Additionally, there was little evidence that understanding led to "appropriate" behavior. The 26 percent chance description was the most effective when both understanding and persuasion were included, but interpretations of probabilistic flood risk messages were highly individualized. Finally, regulatory practice likely influences attitude and behavior and may emphasize the likelihood of a particular flood at the expense of the possibility of flooding in general.

In response to the rising costs of floods, the United States has adopted sophisticated programs to mitigate the loss of life and property. However, the efficient implementation of certain aspects of flood policy has taken precedence over effective communication. The scope of the National Flood Insurance Program and the efficient coding of "the 100 year flood" have led to a pervasive use of the term in both formal and informal risk communication. When officials began consciously communicating flood policy to the public, they assumed a narrow "engineering" model and did not fully anticipate the influence of informal communication on the perception of flood risk. The effectiveness of the "100 year flood" as a means to change attitudes or motivate behaviors was not assessed. Nor was its utility in increasing public understanding of flood risk. New explanatory methods have been introduced, but they, too, have yet to be tested. This project evaluated the effectiveness of four methods commonly used to communicate the risk associated with policy's benchmark flood. These include: a 100 year flood; a flood with a 1 percent chance of occurring in any year; a flood with a 26 percent chance of occurring in 30 years; and a flood risk map available through Project Impact. Data were collected using a structured face to face questionnaire survey of residents living in Wimberley, Texas. Respondents included individuals who lived inside the boundaries of official flood plains, as well as those who did not. Comparable questions regarding uncertainty, perceived need for protection, and levels of concern were asked using each of the four methods of description. Qualitative observations were made during both the interviews and the collection of secondary data. Results showed a significant disjuncture of understanding and persuasion with each method; potentially serious problems with the 26 percent chance method; and a preference for concrete references in describing risk. It is recommended that use of the 26 percent chance method be discontinued. Both the 100 year flood and the map performed better than expected; these descriptions are recommended with reservations in lieu of more contextually appropriate methods of communication and policy formation.

<p>Översvämningar är ett stort problem på flera håll i Sverige och klimatförändringarna väntas förvärra situationen i vissa delar av landet. I syfte att strukturera arbetet med översvämningsrisker togs översvämningsdirektivet (2007:60:EG) fram i EU år 2007. Direktivet genomförs som förordning (SFS 2009:956) i Sverige och denna infördes i svensk lagstiftning den 26 november 2009. Enligt förordningen om översvämningsrisker har Myndigheten för Samhällsskydd och Beredskap en viktig roll då de ska utföra den preliminära bedömningen av översvämningsrisker, bl.a. genom framtagande av kartor som redovisar översvämningshotade områden. Vattenmyndigheter och länsstyrelser ska ansvara för framtagandet av kartor med risker inom de översvämningshotade områdena, samt riskhanteringsplaner för att minska de möjliga ogynnsamma följderna.</p><p>För att underlätta arbetet med översvämningsrisker behöver samtliga aktörer ha en bra och aktuell kunskapsgrund. Ett av syftena med detta examensarbete var därför att ta fram en kunskapsöversikt inom området. Denna översikt togs fram genom en litteraturstudie och den redovisar bl.a. information om EU-projekt med översvämningsanknytning samt fakta om olika höjdmodeller och översvämningskarteringar.</p><p>En annan del av examensarbetet syftade till att besvara ett antal uppställda frågeställningar, som bl.a. behandlade hur god medvetenheten, samverkan och krisberedskapen är hos myndigheter i Sverige. För att avgöra ovanstående utfördes en intervjustudie med ett antal kommuner och länsstyrelser, samt med Vattenmyndigheten för Västerhavet. Resultatet visade att samtliga tillfrågade aktörer hade god medvetenhet om översvämningsrisker. En inträffad översvämning medför en utökad prioritering av arbetet med översvämningsrisker och även en större angelägenhet att samverka med andra aktörer om dessa risker. Krisberedskapen var även den mest uttalad hos de som drabbats av översvämningar och visade sig ha en nära koppling till god medvetenhet och samverkan.</p><p>Slutligen skulle examensarbetet ge svar på vilka riskobjekt som bör bedömas i översvämningshotade områden. För att optimera arbetet med skadereducerande och förebyggande åtgärder bör objekten inom ett översvämningshotat område prioriteras efter sannolikheten att de drabbas, samt hur stora konsekvenserna skulle bli om detta hände. I examensarbetet besvarades denna frågeställning med hjälp av litteraturstudier. Där fokuserades på vilka konsekvenser som kan uppkomma av en översvämning. Ett förslag på riskobjekt togs fram och en översiktlig indelning av hur objekten skulle kunna prioriteras i en akut situation utfördes. Dessutom sammanställdes var data för kartframställning kan hittas för respektive riskobjekt.</p> / <p>Flooding is a major problem in many parts of Sweden and climate changes are expected to aggravate the situation in some parts of the country. In order to structure the work on flood risks the flood directive (2007:60:EG) was initiated by the EU in 2007. The directive is implemented as a regulation in Sweden (SFS 2009:956) and this regulation was introduced in Swedish legislation in November 26th 2009. According to this regulation, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (Myndigheten för Samhällsskydd och Beredskap) plays an important role as they will perform the preliminary assessment of flood risks, including the production of maps of floodthreatened areas. Water authorities and other county administrative boards will be responsible for the preparation of maps of risks within the flood-threatened areas and risk management plans in order to reduce the potential adverse consequences.</p><p>To facilitate the process of flood risks all the players need to have a good and current knowledge. Therefore, one aim of this thesis was to develop a knowledge overview in the field. This overview was prepared by a literature review and includes information on flood-related EU projects, and facts about different elevation models and flood mapping. Another part of the thesis aimed to answer a number of set questions, such as: how good is the awareness, collaboration and emergency preparedness among the Swedish authorities. To determine this an interview study with a number of municipalities and county administration boards, and the Water Authority for the Western Sea (Vattenmyndigheten för Västerhavet) was carried out. The results showed that all the approached players had good awareness of flood risks. A past flood involves results in an expanded priority to work on flood risks and also a major concern to interact with other players on those risks. Crisis preparedness was also most expressed among those affected by floods and was found to have close links to good awareness and interaction.</p><p>Finally, the thesis aimed to answer the risk items that should be considered in floodthreatened areas. To optimize the process of damage reduction and prevention, the objects in a flood-threatened area should be prioritized by the likelihood that the objects will be affected, and also by how big the impact would be if this happened. In the thesis, this question was answered by means of literature studies which focused on the consequences that may arise from a flood. A proposal on the risk properties was developed and an overall breakdown of how the items could be given priority in an emergency was carried out. In addition, it was compiled where data for mapping can be found for each risk item.</p>

Översvämningar är ett stort problem på flera håll i Sverige och klimatförändringarna väntas förvärra situationen i vissa delar av landet. I syfte att strukturera arbetet med översvämningsrisker togs översvämningsdirektivet (2007:60:EG) fram i EU år 2007. Direktivet genomförs som förordning (SFS 2009:956) i Sverige och denna infördes i svensk lagstiftning den 26 november 2009. Enligt förordningen om översvämningsrisker har Myndigheten för Samhällsskydd och Beredskap en viktig roll då de ska utföra den preliminära bedömningen av översvämningsrisker, bl.a. genom framtagande av kartor som redovisar översvämningshotade områden. Vattenmyndigheter och länsstyrelser ska ansvara för framtagandet av kartor med risker inom de översvämningshotade områdena, samt riskhanteringsplaner för att minska de möjliga ogynnsamma följderna. För att underlätta arbetet med översvämningsrisker behöver samtliga aktörer ha en bra och aktuell kunskapsgrund. Ett av syftena med detta examensarbete var därför att ta fram en kunskapsöversikt inom området. Denna översikt togs fram genom en litteraturstudie och den redovisar bl.a. information om EU-projekt med översvämningsanknytning samt fakta om olika höjdmodeller och översvämningskarteringar. En annan del av examensarbetet syftade till att besvara ett antal uppställda frågeställningar, som bl.a. behandlade hur god medvetenheten, samverkan och krisberedskapen är hos myndigheter i Sverige. För att avgöra ovanstående utfördes en intervjustudie med ett antal kommuner och länsstyrelser, samt med Vattenmyndigheten för Västerhavet. Resultatet visade att samtliga tillfrågade aktörer hade god medvetenhet om översvämningsrisker. En inträffad översvämning medför en utökad prioritering av arbetet med översvämningsrisker och även en större angelägenhet att samverka med andra aktörer om dessa risker. Krisberedskapen var även den mest uttalad hos de som drabbats av översvämningar och visade sig ha en nära koppling till god medvetenhet och samverkan. Slutligen skulle examensarbetet ge svar på vilka riskobjekt som bör bedömas i översvämningshotade områden. För att optimera arbetet med skadereducerande och förebyggande åtgärder bör objekten inom ett översvämningshotat område prioriteras efter sannolikheten att de drabbas, samt hur stora konsekvenserna skulle bli om detta hände. I examensarbetet besvarades denna frågeställning med hjälp av litteraturstudier. Där fokuserades på vilka konsekvenser som kan uppkomma av en översvämning. Ett förslag på riskobjekt togs fram och en översiktlig indelning av hur objekten skulle kunna prioriteras i en akut situation utfördes. Dessutom sammanställdes var data för kartframställning kan hittas för respektive riskobjekt. / Flooding is a major problem in many parts of Sweden and climate changes are expected to aggravate the situation in some parts of the country. In order to structure the work on flood risks the flood directive (2007:60:EG) was initiated by the EU in 2007. The directive is implemented as a regulation in Sweden (SFS 2009:956) and this regulation was introduced in Swedish legislation in November 26th 2009. According to this regulation, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (Myndigheten för Samhällsskydd och Beredskap) plays an important role as they will perform the preliminary assessment of flood risks, including the production of maps of floodthreatened areas. Water authorities and other county administrative boards will be responsible for the preparation of maps of risks within the flood-threatened areas and risk management plans in order to reduce the potential adverse consequences. To facilitate the process of flood risks all the players need to have a good and current knowledge. Therefore, one aim of this thesis was to develop a knowledge overview in the field. This overview was prepared by a literature review and includes information on flood-related EU projects, and facts about different elevation models and flood mapping. Another part of the thesis aimed to answer a number of set questions, such as: how good is the awareness, collaboration and emergency preparedness among the Swedish authorities. To determine this an interview study with a number of municipalities and county administration boards, and the Water Authority for the Western Sea (Vattenmyndigheten för Västerhavet) was carried out. The results showed that all the approached players had good awareness of flood risks. A past flood involves results in an expanded priority to work on flood risks and also a major concern to interact with other players on those risks. Crisis preparedness was also most expressed among those affected by floods and was found to have close links to good awareness and interaction. Finally, the thesis aimed to answer the risk items that should be considered in floodthreatened areas. To optimize the process of damage reduction and prevention, the objects in a flood-threatened area should be prioritized by the likelihood that the objects will be affected, and also by how big the impact would be if this happened. In the thesis, this question was answered by means of literature studies which focused on the consequences that may arise from a flood. A proposal on the risk properties was developed and an overall breakdown of how the items could be given priority in an emergency was carried out. In addition, it was compiled where data for mapping can be found for each risk item.