Hydraulic Numerical Simulations of La Sabana River Floodplain, Mexico, as a Tool for a Flood Terrain Response Analysis

Abstract

The floodplain of La Sabana River, Guerrero State, Mexico, was subject to disastrous floods due to the passage of extreme weather phenomena. This is a situation facing many ungauged rivers in Mexico, as well as in other developing countries, where increased urbanization and a lack of monitoring systems make many inhabited areas more vulnerable to flooding. The purpose of this work is to provide a tool for determining the flood terrain response to flooding based on a hydraulic study. This methodology combines a hydrological analysis of the river basin with the floodplain hydraulic study for the precise identification of overflow points and the resulting flood levels. Results show that, for an ungauged river, hydraulic analysis is an essential tool for determining the main potential flood points and establishing whether the river has the capacity to contain floods. Specifically, it is shown that La Sabana River is predisposed to overflow long before the river reaches its maximum flow, even in correspondence with more frequent flood scenarios. This study shows a further application that a hydraulic model can have to improve flood risk preparedness for ungauged rivers of regions where other types of monitoring tools cannot be used.