Loading [MathJax]/jax/output/HTML-CSS/fonts/TeX/fontdata.js
Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-223
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2022-223
17 May 2022
 | 17 May 2022

Reliability of flood marks and practical relevance for flood hazard assessment in south-west Germany

Annette Sophie Bösmeier, Iso Himmelsbach, and Stefan Seeger

Abstract. Flood marks are rarely utilized in hazard assessment, mainly because of a lack in data availability, accessibility, and mistrust in their reliability. Challenging these common assumptions, we present an approach for evaluation and practical utilization of flood marks by the example of the Kinzig river, a Rhine tributary from the Black Forest with a history of severe floods. We combined written documents on flood marks with field mapping at three study sites and collected 89 marks – about 50 % of them still preserved – which refer to ≥ 15 large floods between 1824 and 1991. The inclusion of a detailed historical mark survey allowed to identify and assess changes over time: they extend from small (+/- 15 cm) imprecisions in mark heights to considerable uncertainties in position, height, and displayed date for some modified marks. Plausibility checks with further data nevertheless demonstrated an overall good consistency. We then juxtaposed these marks with the current, modeled flood hazard maps. A wide agreement is apparent, in that the large majority of the marks are situated at probable heights and within the modeled flooding area associated with extreme floods. For the few exceptions, we see plausible and historically sound reasons in changed local hydraulic conditions by flood protection walls, exceptional processes during a massive ice jam, and possibly also a local underestimation of hazard along Kinzig river tributaries. Overall, this study highlights (1) the broad availability of flood mark data, both on a larger spatial scale and with regard to already vanished marks, and (2) the significance of the marks, verified by further data; and (3) it also demonstrates the possibility of a straightforward inclusion in hazard assessment. We thus encourage the systematic collection, maintenance, and integration of flood marks in a responsible risk management, not least regarding their value in the wider context of risk awareness and memory.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Share

Journal article(s) based on this preprint

08 Sep 2022
| Highlight paper
Reliability of flood marks and practical relevance for flood hazard assessment in southwestern Germany
Annette Sophie Bösmeier, Iso Himmelsbach, and Stefan Seeger
Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 22, 2963–2979, https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2963-2022,https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-2963-2022, 2022
Short summary Executive editor
Download

The requested preprint has a corresponding peer-reviewed final revised paper. You are encouraged to refer to the final revised version.

The paper addresses historical flood marks as a information source, coming to the conclusion...
Short summary
Encouraging a systematic use of flood marks for a more comprehensive flood risk management, we...
Share