Evaluating the French Flash Flood Warning System Using Hydrological and Impact Data in Southeastern France
ABSTRACT Due to climate change and rapid urbanisation, flash floods are becoming increasingly threatening, making real‐time flash flood monitoring and early warning systems a crucial adaptation measure. In France, the Vigicrues Flash system, operational since 2017, uses a simplified rainfall‐runoff...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Journal of Flood Risk Management |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.70053 |
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| _version_ | 1849430348538052608 |
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| author | Juliette Godet Olivier Payrastre Qifan Ding Julie Demargne Eric Gaume Pierre Nicolle Anne Belleudy Pierre Javelle |
| author_facet | Juliette Godet Olivier Payrastre Qifan Ding Julie Demargne Eric Gaume Pierre Nicolle Anne Belleudy Pierre Javelle |
| author_sort | Juliette Godet |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | ABSTRACT Due to climate change and rapid urbanisation, flash floods are becoming increasingly threatening, making real‐time flash flood monitoring and early warning systems a crucial adaptation measure. In France, the Vigicrues Flash system, operational since 2017, uses a simplified rainfall‐runoff model to issue short‐range flood warnings for small‐to‐medium ungauged basins, covering about 10,000 municipalities. Seven years on, we assess its performance on a large spatio‐temporal scale, using a multi‐indicator approach. First, hydrological validation is conducted using discharge data from gauging stations and post‐event campaigns, applying a contingency‐based approach with flood thresholds from 2‐ to 1000‐year return periods. Results show promising flood detection rates (mean CSI: 40%–70%) and indicate that expanding the system's coverage is feasible without reducing performance. Next, we evaluate its capacity to detect damaging events using the French CatNat database of natural disaster decrees. Finally, we document a survey of system users to capture their perception of its effectiveness and operational value. However, the high number of false alarms in the impact‐based assessment highlights the urgent need for impact‐oriented forecasts and warnings. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8b99a27e37a14eabbfd7237580488d5c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1753-318X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Flood Risk Management |
| spelling | doaj-art-8b99a27e37a14eabbfd7237580488d5c2025-08-20T03:28:01ZengWileyJournal of Flood Risk Management1753-318X2025-06-01182n/an/a10.1111/jfr3.70053Evaluating the French Flash Flood Warning System Using Hydrological and Impact Data in Southeastern FranceJuliette Godet0Olivier Payrastre1Qifan Ding2Julie Demargne3Eric Gaume4Pierre Nicolle5Anne Belleudy6Pierre Javelle7Univ Gustave Eiffel, GERS‐LEE Bouguenais FranceUniv Gustave Eiffel, GERS‐LEE Bouguenais FranceRECOVER, INRAE, Université D'aix‐Marseille Aix‐en‐Provence FranceHYDRIS Hydrologie FranceUniv Gustave Eiffel, GERS‐LEE Bouguenais FranceUniv Gustave Eiffel, GERS‐LEE Bouguenais FranceSCHAPI Ministère de la Transition écologique et de la cohésion Des Territoires Toulouse FranceRECOVER, INRAE, Université D'aix‐Marseille Aix‐en‐Provence FranceABSTRACT Due to climate change and rapid urbanisation, flash floods are becoming increasingly threatening, making real‐time flash flood monitoring and early warning systems a crucial adaptation measure. In France, the Vigicrues Flash system, operational since 2017, uses a simplified rainfall‐runoff model to issue short‐range flood warnings for small‐to‐medium ungauged basins, covering about 10,000 municipalities. Seven years on, we assess its performance on a large spatio‐temporal scale, using a multi‐indicator approach. First, hydrological validation is conducted using discharge data from gauging stations and post‐event campaigns, applying a contingency‐based approach with flood thresholds from 2‐ to 1000‐year return periods. Results show promising flood detection rates (mean CSI: 40%–70%) and indicate that expanding the system's coverage is feasible without reducing performance. Next, we evaluate its capacity to detect damaging events using the French CatNat database of natural disaster decrees. Finally, we document a survey of system users to capture their perception of its effectiveness and operational value. However, the high number of false alarms in the impact‐based assessment highlights the urgent need for impact‐oriented forecasts and warnings.https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.70053CatNatcritical success indexflash flood early warning systemflood impactsflood quantilesriver discharge data |
| spellingShingle | Juliette Godet Olivier Payrastre Qifan Ding Julie Demargne Eric Gaume Pierre Nicolle Anne Belleudy Pierre Javelle Evaluating the French Flash Flood Warning System Using Hydrological and Impact Data in Southeastern France Journal of Flood Risk Management CatNat critical success index flash flood early warning system flood impacts flood quantiles river discharge data |
| title | Evaluating the French Flash Flood Warning System Using Hydrological and Impact Data in Southeastern France |
| title_full | Evaluating the French Flash Flood Warning System Using Hydrological and Impact Data in Southeastern France |
| title_fullStr | Evaluating the French Flash Flood Warning System Using Hydrological and Impact Data in Southeastern France |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evaluating the French Flash Flood Warning System Using Hydrological and Impact Data in Southeastern France |
| title_short | Evaluating the French Flash Flood Warning System Using Hydrological and Impact Data in Southeastern France |
| title_sort | evaluating the french flash flood warning system using hydrological and impact data in southeastern france |
| topic | CatNat critical success index flash flood early warning system flood impacts flood quantiles river discharge data |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1111/jfr3.70053 |
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