Flood fatalities in Athens, Greece: 1880- 2010.

Abstract

Flood-related deaths in urban environments constitute a major issue in flood risk management especially during the last decades, as global urban population grows larger. This work focuses on the analysis of flood-related fatalities in Athens metropolitan area, in Greece between 1880 and 2010. To this aim, a database is compiled, recording spatial and temporal distribution of fatal flood incidents, along with demographic information on the victims. GIS is used to map and spatially analyze the incidents in question and to examine possible migration trends. Results showed a total  of  182  fatalities  across  Athens  basin,  presenting  a  decreasing  trend,  even though  flood  event  numbers  are  rising.  Males,  youngsters  and  elderly  people showed an overrepresentation amongst the victims in comparison with the country’s general population. Fatal incidents presented a higher spatial density in the central and southwestern parts of the city indicating a higher persistence of flood phenomena in these areas. A gradual migration of fatality locations, from the central parts of the city, towards the outer suburbs during the study period was identified following the city’s spatial expansion.