Improving risk projection and mapping of coastal flood hazards caused by typhoon-induced storm surges and extreme sea levels

Abstract

Seawater inundation mapping plays a crucial role in climate change adaptation and flooding risk reduction for coastal low-lying areas. This study presents a new elevation model called the digital impermeable surface model (DISM) based on the topographical data acquired by unmanned aerial vehicle (UAVs) for improving seawater inundation mapping. The proposed DISM model, along with the bathtub model, was used to assess coastal vulnerability to flooding in significant tropical cyclone events in a low-lying region of Victoria Harbor in Hong Kong. The inundation simulations were evaluated based on the typhoon news and reports which indicated the actual storm surge flooding conditions. Our findings revealed that the proposed DISM obtains a higher accuracy than the existing digital elevation model (DEM) and the digital surface model (DSM) with a RMSE of 0.035 m. The DISM demonstrated a higher skill than the DEM and the DSM by better accounting for the water-repellent functionality of each geospatial feature and the water inflow under real-life conditions. The inundation simulations affirmed that at least 88.3% of the inundated areas could be recognized successfully in this newly-designed model. Our findings also revealed that accelerating sea level rise in Victoria Harbor may pose a flooding threat comparable to those induced by super typhoons by the end of the 21st century under two representative emission scenarios (RCP4.5 and RCP8.5). The seawater may overtop the existing protective measures and facilities, making it susceptible to flood-related hazards.