Preliminary GIS Elaborations to Apply Rapid Flood Spreading Models

Flood risk analysis involves simulating many scenarios from which to draw statistical information about flood extent and depth. Rapid but still sufficiently accurate models enabling flooded areas to be delimited using a DEM have been introduced in the scientific literature. These models, called Rapid Flood Spreading Models (RFSMs), are based on highly simplifying hydraulic assumptions while make large use of GIS information and elaborations. Three different RFSMs are here applied to a test case, largely characterized by flat land. The results obtained are compared with those of a two-dimensional hydraulic model confirming the possibility of preliminarily elaborating topographic GIS data to easily gain geometric information on flooded areas through geospatial analysis.