Term | Definition |
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Flood Readiness |
Readiness is an ability to react within the effective warning time. |
Flood Risk |
Potential danger to personal safety and potential damage to property resulting from flooding. The degree of risk varies with circumstances across the full range of floods. Flood risk in this manual is divided into 3 types, existing, future and continuing risks. They are described below. Existing Flood Risk: the risk a community is exposed to as a result of its location on the floodplain. Future Flood Risk: the risk a community may be exposed to as a result of new development on the floodplain. Continuing Flood Risk: the risk a community is exposed to after floodplain risk management measures have been implemented. For a town protected by levees, the continuing flood risk is the consequences of the levees being overtopped. For an area without any floodplain risk management measures, the continuing flood risk is simply the existence of its flood exposure. |
Flood Storage Areas |
Those parts of the floodplain that are important for the temporary storage of floodwaters during the passage of a flood. The extent and behaviour of flood storage areas may change with flood severity, and loss of flood storage can increase the severity of flood impacts by reducing natural flood attenuation. Hence, it is necessary to investigate a range of flood sizes before defining flood storage areas. |
Flood Study |
Is a technical investigation of flood behaviour in the study area. It describes the extent, depth and velocity of flood waters as well as the variation in flood hazard during a range of historical as well as hypothetical 'design' floods. The 'design' floods are based on statistical analysis of flooding that has occurred in the past. |
Floodplain |
Area of land which is subject to inundation by floods up to and including the probable maximum flood event, that is, flood prone land. |
Floodplain Risk Management Options |
The measures that might be feasible for the management of a particular area of the floodplain. Preparation of a floodplain risk management plan requires a detailed evaluation of floodplain risk management options. |