Flood Risk in Road Networks

Road networks are essential for
economic, social, environmental, and security reasons. Road
networks are therefore considered critical networks
according to the consequences of their disruptions (Tacnet
and Mermet 2012). Flooding poses an important threat to
roads, and can lead to massive obstruction of traffic and
damage to road structures, with possible long-term effects
(Buren and Buma 2012). Flooding leads to significant repair
costs for road control authorities, access difficulties for
emergency services (Versini, Gaume, and Andrieu 2010a), and
disruption for road users and the community at large. The
consequences for businesses and the economy in general can
be very significant (Brabhaharan, Wiles, and Frietag 2006).
Because of the time and costs required for rebuilding,
sustainable and long-term planning is crucial; therefore,
the consideration of flood risk constitutes an important
input for decision making in planning this type of
infrastructure. Flood risk analysis for road networks allows
plans to be carried out in an appropriate manner, allocating
resources for prevention, mitigation, and restoration
(Balijepalli and Oppong 2014; Jenelius and Mattsson 2014).
This report summarizes the main concepts and methodologies
that are used to assess flood risk for road networks. The
report presents references and examples, and is intended to
be a starting point for practitioners in the field.