Flood analysis comparison with probability density functions and a stochastic weather generator

Flood prediction has become essential to hydrology and natural disaster management due to the increasing frequency and severity of extreme hydrological events driven by climate change. This study compares two methodologies for predicting flood events in Morelia, Mexico: theoretical distribution func...

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Main Authors: Israel García-Ledesma, Jaime Madrigal, Jesús Pardo-Loaiza, Joel Hernández-Bedolla, Constantino Domínguez-Sánchez, Sonia Tatiana Sánchez-Quispe
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: PeerJ Inc. 2025-05-01
Series:PeerJ
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Online Access:https://peerj.com/articles/19333.pdf
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author Israel García-Ledesma
Jaime Madrigal
Jesús Pardo-Loaiza
Joel Hernández-Bedolla
Constantino Domínguez-Sánchez
Sonia Tatiana Sánchez-Quispe
author_facet Israel García-Ledesma
Jaime Madrigal
Jesús Pardo-Loaiza
Joel Hernández-Bedolla
Constantino Domínguez-Sánchez
Sonia Tatiana Sánchez-Quispe
author_sort Israel García-Ledesma
collection DOAJ
description Flood prediction has become essential to hydrology and natural disaster management due to the increasing frequency and severity of extreme hydrological events driven by climate change. This study compares two methodologies for predicting flood events in Morelia, Mexico: theoretical distribution functions and stochastic weather generators. The methodology integrates maximum runoff results for different return periods into a drainage network hydraulic model, using the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method and a multivariate stochastic model (MASVC). Hydrodynamic modeling with HEC-RAS, incorporating two-dimensional shallow water equations, was used to simulate flood inundation areas. The study reveals that while both modeling approaches similarly replicate the system’s behavior, they produce different water levels due to variations in maximum flow values. The stochastic model tends to generate higher maximum water levels. High-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) with a pixel size of five m in urban areas and 0.5 m in drainage network zones, and land use data were crucial in improving the accuracy of the hydraulic simulations. Findings indicate that unregulated urban growth in flood-prone areas significantly exacerbates the impact of flooding. The generated hazard maps and flood simulations provide valuable tools for urban planning and decision-making, highlighting the need for strategic interventions to mitigate flood risks. This research underscores the importance of integrating advanced modeling techniques in flood risk management to enhance the precision and reliability of flood predictions.
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spelling doaj-art-b55c404d6dcb4bc2a061f6ce1e40a55e2025-08-20T02:57:20ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592025-05-0113e1933310.7717/peerj.19333Flood analysis comparison with probability density functions and a stochastic weather generatorIsrael García-Ledesma0Jaime Madrigal1Jesús Pardo-Loaiza2Joel Hernández-Bedolla3Constantino Domínguez-Sánchez4Sonia Tatiana Sánchez-Quispe5Faculty of Civil Engineering, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, MexicoFaculty of Civil Engineering, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, MexicoFaculty of Civil Engineering, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, MexicoFaculty of Civil Engineering, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, MexicoFaculty of Civil Engineering, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, MexicoFaculty of Civil Engineering, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Morelia, Michoacán, MexicoFlood prediction has become essential to hydrology and natural disaster management due to the increasing frequency and severity of extreme hydrological events driven by climate change. This study compares two methodologies for predicting flood events in Morelia, Mexico: theoretical distribution functions and stochastic weather generators. The methodology integrates maximum runoff results for different return periods into a drainage network hydraulic model, using the Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) method and a multivariate stochastic model (MASVC). Hydrodynamic modeling with HEC-RAS, incorporating two-dimensional shallow water equations, was used to simulate flood inundation areas. The study reveals that while both modeling approaches similarly replicate the system’s behavior, they produce different water levels due to variations in maximum flow values. The stochastic model tends to generate higher maximum water levels. High-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) with a pixel size of five m in urban areas and 0.5 m in drainage network zones, and land use data were crucial in improving the accuracy of the hydraulic simulations. Findings indicate that unregulated urban growth in flood-prone areas significantly exacerbates the impact of flooding. The generated hazard maps and flood simulations provide valuable tools for urban planning and decision-making, highlighting the need for strategic interventions to mitigate flood risks. This research underscores the importance of integrating advanced modeling techniques in flood risk management to enhance the precision and reliability of flood predictions.https://peerj.com/articles/19333.pdfFlood risk managementUrban planningStochastic weather generatorHydrodynamic modelingFlood forecasting
spellingShingle Israel García-Ledesma
Jaime Madrigal
Jesús Pardo-Loaiza
Joel Hernández-Bedolla
Constantino Domínguez-Sánchez
Sonia Tatiana Sánchez-Quispe
Flood analysis comparison with probability density functions and a stochastic weather generator
PeerJ
Flood risk management
Urban planning
Stochastic weather generator
Hydrodynamic modeling
Flood forecasting
title Flood analysis comparison with probability density functions and a stochastic weather generator
title_full Flood analysis comparison with probability density functions and a stochastic weather generator
title_fullStr Flood analysis comparison with probability density functions and a stochastic weather generator
title_full_unstemmed Flood analysis comparison with probability density functions and a stochastic weather generator
title_short Flood analysis comparison with probability density functions and a stochastic weather generator
title_sort flood analysis comparison with probability density functions and a stochastic weather generator
topic Flood risk management
Urban planning
Stochastic weather generator
Hydrodynamic modeling
Flood forecasting
url https://peerj.com/articles/19333.pdf
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