Household labelling for flash flood emergency management (Chrastava town, northern czechia)

Abstract

Flash floods are natural hazards that may last only a few hours, but their sudden onset often results in severe impacts on society and the environment. Therefore, efforts to reduce flash flood-related losses have primarily focused on the compilation of emergency operation plans (EOPs). Conversely, there have been only a few attempts to provide cartographic representations of EOPs in order to show the spatial context of crisis operations. In the present map and its commentary, we describe a pilot study of flash flood household labelling for use in emergency operations carried out in Chrastava town, Northern Czechia. Analyses of existing geographical databases, together with detailed field surveys, have been performed to map relevant characteristics of 1110 buildings in terms of their location, function, number of residents and degree of flood hazard, as well as the presence of flood-protection measures. The map sheet is composed of the main map (overview of flood extent and impacts) and three supplementary maps (technical and social vulnerability of buildings), and the map key is designed to facilitate strategic planning and directing of emergency operations in the study area.