Method and system for automated location-dependent recognition of flood risks

• US 7,395,157 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2005
• Issued: 07/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Swiss Reinsurance Company
• Original Assignee: Swiss Reinsurance Company
• Inventors: Mehlhorn, Jens, Oehy, Christoph, Feyen, Hans
• Primary Examiner(s): McElheny, Jr.; Donald E
• Application Number:
  US10/582,230
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143019A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,097 Days
• Field of Search: 702/2, 702/3, 702/5
• US Class Current: 702/2
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/10 responsive to calamitous events, e.g. tornados or earthquakes
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 31/00 Predictive alarm systems characterised by extrapolation or other computation using updated historic data
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/00 in human health protection, e.g. against extreme weather

Abstract

The invention relates to a system and method for automated location-dependent recognition of flood risks, whereas a central unit (20) comprises a lookup table (203) corresponding to a spatial high resolution grid (60/61) based on decentralized measurements of flood risk factors of a specific territory, whereas the system comprises distributed gauging stations (5/30/31/32), to measure river discharge parameters (T) within a grid cell (60/61), whereas the central unit (20) comprises a correlation-module (21) generating an event-specific averaged probabilistic water depth value (H) for an flood event based on the linked flood risk factors and the river discharge values, and whereas the system comprises an cell arbitrator module (22) accting on at least on grid-based composition module (23) according to the avaraged probabilistic water depth values (H).

Claims

1. A signaling system for automated location-dependent recognition of flood risks, comprising:

a central unit including a multi-dimensional lookup table corresponding to a spatial high resolution grid of a specific geographic territory, flood risk factors being associated with the grid and indicating an average flood frequency and/or susceptibility to flooding within a grid cell, the flood risk factors being calculated based on flood zone data associated with the specific geographic territory, the flood zone data indicating in the specific geographic territory flood zones with defined return periods,

distributed gauging stations configured to determine river discharge parameters within an area of multiple grid cells of the grid and to transmit the river discharge parameters over a network to the central unit, the river discharge parameters comprising at least values for a return period as a measure of intensity of flood events,

the central unit comprising a correlation-module configured to generate an event-specific average probabilistic water depth value for a flood event based on the linked flood risk factors and the river discharge values, and to associate the probabilistic water depth value with the corresponding grid cell, and

a cell arbitrator module acting on at least one grid-based composition module according to the average probabilistic water depth values.

2. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the grid-based composition module comprises at least an early warning system signaling flood risk in the appropriate cell.

3. A system according to claim 1, characterized in that the grid-based composition module comprises automated damage prediction systems and/or damage covering systems for land-based installations based upon at least the flood risk factors.

4. A system according to one of the claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the grid-based composition module comprises at least an optimization and/or control module for protection installation of technical and/or industrial facilities based upon at least the flood risk factors.

5. A system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a linking module with at least one adaptable event factor providing spatial and/or temporal correlations for the discharge measurements of different gauging stations.

6. A system according to claim 1, wherein the gauging stations comprise at least a sensor and/or measuring fixture to determine the river discharge parameters.

7. A system according to claim 1, wherein the gauging stations measuring the river discharge parameters are located in a low spatial resolution in relation to the grid of the flood risk factors.

8. A system according to claim 1, wherein the gauging stations measuring the river discharge parameters are set to a high temporal resolution.

9. A system according to claim 1, wherein the resolution of the grid of the flood risk factors is given by cell sizes below 10,000 m².

10. A system according to claim 1, wherein the flood risk factors are derived based upon at least geomorphologic parameters.

11. A system according to claim 10, wherein the geomorphologic parameters comprise horizontal distance and/or elevation difference to the next river.

12. A system according to one of the claims 10 and 11, wherein the geomorphologic parameters comprise horizontal distance and/or elevation difference to the next drainage area.

13. A system according to claim 1, wherein the central unit comprises an interpolation module deriving the flood risk factors based upon a country-specific flood zone table depending on horizontal distance and/or elevation difference.

14. A system according to claim 13, wherein the country specific flood zone table comprises the First American 100-year flood zone table.

15. A system according to claim 1, wherein the correlation module comprises at least five adaptable correlation parameters x₁, x₂, . . . , x₅, and the adaptable parameters are correlated by

$H=\max$

( x 1 ⁢

P - x 2 + x 3 ⁢

ln ⁡

( T ) x 4 ⁢

P + x 5 , 0 ) .

wherein

H denotes the average probabilistic water depth values,

P denotes the flood risk factors, and

T denotes the river discharge parameters.

16. A system according to claim 1, wherein vulnerability factors are determined based upon historical dataset of corresponding portfolios and a generalized insurance risk is automated derivable from the vulnerability factors.

17. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system comprises different correlation modules for flood cell zones along a coast located different height m a.s.l.

19. A system according to one of claims 17 and 18, wherein the determination of the flood cells along a coast are additionally based upon storm surge events.

20. A system according to claim 17, wherein the determination of the flood cells along a coast additionally comprises a Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) method.

21. A system according to claim 1, wherein the system is accessible over a network by client nodes, the system further comprises a billing module with a billing gateway interface for access to the central unit first call detail records of a client node being transmittable from the central unit to the billing module.

22. A system according to claim 21, further comprising a proxy module for downloading second call detail records of the client node from the central unit at least the identity of the client node and/or duration of the access to the central unit and/or service being able to be captured and able to be passed on to the billing module.

23. A system according to claim 22, characterized in that by means of the billing module of the system TAP files corresponding to the obtained service are able to be generated, and these are transmittable, together with billing instructions, to a clearing module, the billing instructions including at least user-specific and/or service-provider-specific billing data.

18. A system according to claim to 17, wherein the system comprises at least one specific correlation module determining flood cell zones along a coast located lower than 10 m a.s.l.

24. A method for automated location dependent recognition of flood risks, comprising:

generating a spatial high resolution grid for a specific geographic territory and flood risk factors, the flood risk factors being calculated based on flood zone data associated with the specific geographic territory and indicating the average flood frequency and/or susceptibility to flooding within a grid cell, the flood zone data indicating in the specific geographic territory flood zones with defined return periods;

determining river discharge parameters distributed gauging stations, the river discharge parameters comprising at least values for a return period as a measure of intensity of flood events; and

linking the flood risk factors and the river discharge parameters by a correlation module to generate an event-specific averaged probabilistic water depth value for a flood event, the probabilistic water depth value being associated with the corresponding grid cell.

25. A method according to claim 24, wherein at least one adaptable event factor provides spatial and/or temporal correlations for discharge measurements of different gauging stations.

26. A method according to claim 24, wherein river water level parameters are measured by the gauging stations based upon which river water level parameters are determined.

27. A method according to claim 24, wherein the river discharge parameters are measured and/or determined in a low spatial resolution in relation to the grid of the flood risk factors.

28. A method according to claim 24, wherein the river discharge parameters are measured and/or determined in a high temporal resolution.

29. A method according to claim 24, wherein the resolution of the grid is given by cell sizes below 10,000 m².

30. A method according to claim 24, wherein the flood risk factors are derived based upon at least geomorphologic parameters.

31. A method according to claim 30, wherein the geomorphologic parameters comprise horizontal distance and/or elevation difference to the next river.

32. A method according to one of the claims 30 and 31, wherein the geomorphologic parameters comprise horizontal distance and/or elevation difference to the next drainage area.

33. A method according to claim 24, wherein the flood risk factors are derived by an interpolation module based upon a country-specific flood zone table depending on horizontal distance and/or elevation difference.

34. A method according to claim 33, characterized in that the country specific flood zone table comprises the First American 100-year flood zone table.

35. A method according to claim 24, wherein the correlation module comprises at least five adaptable correlation parameters x₁, x₂, . . . , x₅, and the adaptable parameters are correlated by

$H=\max$

( x 1 ⁢

P - x 2 + x 3 ⁢

ln ⁡

( T ) x 4 ⁢

P + x 5 , 0 ) .

wherein

H denotes the average probabilistic water depth values,

P denotes the flood risk factors, and

T denotes the river discharge parameters.

36. A method according to claim 24, wherein vulnerability factors are determined based upon historical dataset of corresponding portfolios and a generalized insurance risk is automated derivable from the vulnerability factors.

37. A method according to claim 24, wherein different correlation modules are used for flood cell zones along a coast located different height m a.s.l.

39. A method according to one of claims 37 and 38, wherein the determination of the flood cells along a coast are additionally based upon storm surge events.

40. A method according to claim 37, wherein the determination of the flood cells along a coast additionally comprises a Sea, Lake and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) method.

38. A method according to claim to 37, wherein flood cell zones along a coast located lower than 10 m a.s.l. are determined by a specific correlation module.