A GIS-based decision support system for integrated flood management under uncertainty with two dimensional numerical simulations

A new decision support system has been developed for integrated flood management within the framework of ArcGIS based on realistic two dimensional flood simulations. This system has the ability to interact with and use classified Remote Sensing (RS) image layers and other GIS feature layers like zoning layer, survey database and census block boundaries for flood damage calculations and loss of life estimations. It also provides a user friendly interface which allows construction of user defined criteria, such as stage-damage curves, running computations and visualization of the results. Monte Carlo Simulation method is used to take into account uncertainties in various variables and parameters, and event tree analysis is used to estimate the population dynamics. The analysis of a dam break flood management strategy for Sinclair Dam in Georgia, USA is chosen as a case study to demonstrate the capabilities of the decision support system. The test results compared with HEC-FDA software indicate that this new system provides a very versatile and reliable environment for estimating various flood damage, and may greatly enhance decision making process for future design of the flood proofing facilities.