Comprehensive Assessment of Flood Risk and Vulnerability for Essential Facilities: Iowa Case Study

Of all natural disasters that occur on this planet, flood events are universally one of the most common and most destructive. As climate change and human actions continue to cause the occurrence of flood events to rise, it becomes increasingly important that the effects of flooding are analyzed and understood. In this study, nine different types of critical amenities in the state of Iowa (such as hospitals, fire stations, schools, etc.) were analyzed on a county level in terms of flood depth, functionality and restoration time after flooding, and damage sustained during flooding. These critical amenities were also analyzed on the state level in terms of their location relative to the 100yr and 500yr flood zones. Results show that the number of critical amenities within the flood extent reached up to 39%, and during the 100yr flood scenario all but one of the six chosen counties lost functionality of 100% of their amenities. Most critical amenities were found to have a flood depth of 1 to 4 ft deep and a restoration time of 480 days. The purpose of this study is to bring awareness to decision makers regarding the risk that flooding events pose to critical amenities and highlight the increasing dangers of flooding on a broader scale. This study will be beneficial to improve mitigation strategies, emergency response plans, and ensuring that emergency services and amenities are available in the event of future floods for the affected areas.