Comparative flood damage model assessment: towards a European approach

This paper presents a first comprehensive qualitative and quantitative comparison of seven flood damage models, using two case studies of past flood events in Germany and the United Kingdom. Its objectives are to identify strengths and weaknesses in existing modelling approaches, specify the uncertainties involved and use these findings to assist the development of a harmonised European approach.

The paper concludes that care needs to be taken when using aggregated land use data for flood risk assessment, and that it is essential to adjust asset values to the regional economic situation and property characteristics. It calls for the development of a flexible but consistent European framework that applies best practice from existing models while providing room for including necessary regional adjustments.

Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 12, 3733–3752, 2012, doi:10.5194/nhess-12-3733-2012, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.