This is a Preprint and has not been peer reviewed. This is version 1 of this Preprint.
Downloads
Authors
Abstract
Climate-induced disasters, particularly floods, pose a substantial risk to human well-being. These risks encompass economic losses, infrastructural damage, disruption of daily life, and potential loss of life. This study focuses on understanding flood risks to critical infrastructure, emphasizing the resilience and reliability of essential services during such disasters. In the United States, the railway network is vital for the distribution of goods and services. This research specifically targets the railway network in Iowa, a state where the impact of flooding on railways has not been extensively studied. We employ comprehensive GIS analysis to assess the vulnerability of the railway network, bridges, rail crossings, and facilities under 100- and 500-year flood scenarios at the state level. Additionally, we conduct a detailed investigation into the most flood-affected counties, focusing on the susceptibility of railway bridges. Our state-wide analysis reveals that in a 100-year flood scenario, up to 9% of railroads, 8% of rail crossings, 58% of bridges, and 6% of facilities are impacted. In a 500-year flood scenario, these figures increase to 16%, 14%, 61%, and 13%, respectively. Further, our secondary analysis using flood depth maps indicates that approximately half of the railway bridges in the flood zones of the studied counties could become non-functional in both flood scenarios. These findings are crucial for developing effective disaster risk management plans and strategies, ensuring adequate preparedness for climate change impacts on railway infrastructure.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.31223/X5SM3W
Subjects
Environmental Engineering, Risk Analysis
Keywords
flood, railroad network, railway, flood risk assessment, flood vulnerability
Dates
Published: 2023-12-29 09:41
Last Updated: 2023-12-29 17:41
License
CC-BY Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International
There are no comments or no comments have been made public for this article.