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.

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

Annette Sophie Bösmeier et al.

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-223', Neil Macdonald, 02 Jun 2022
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC1', Annette Sophie Bösmeier, 30 Jul 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-223', Anonymous Referee #2, 24 Jun 2022
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC2', Annette Sophie Bösmeier, 14 Jul 2022

Interactive discussion

Status: closed

Comment types: AC – author | RC – referee | CC – community | EC – editor | CEC – chief editor | : Report abuse
  • RC1: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-223', Neil Macdonald, 02 Jun 2022
    • AC2: 'Reply on RC1', Annette Sophie Bösmeier, 30 Jul 2022
  • RC2: 'Comment on egusphere-2022-223', Anonymous Referee #2, 24 Jun 2022
    • AC1: 'Reply on RC2', Annette Sophie Bösmeier, 14 Jul 2022

Peer review completion

AR: Author's response | RR: Referee report | ED: Editor decision | EF: Editorial file upload
ED: Publish subject to minor revisions (review by editor) (30 Jul 2022) by Brunella Bonaccorso
AR by Annette Sophie Bösmeier on behalf of the Authors (08 Aug 2022)  Author's response   Author's tracked changes   Manuscript 
ED: Publish as is (11 Aug 2022) by Brunella Bonaccorso
AR by Annette Sophie Bösmeier on behalf of the Authors (16 Aug 2022)

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

Annette Sophie Bösmeier et al.

Annette Sophie Bösmeier et al.

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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 that it is worthwhile to maintain them, and include them in scientific evaluations. The authors find, for example, plausible and historically sound reasons in changed local hydraulic conditions by flood protection walls, and effects of exceptional processes during a massive ice jam.
Short summary
Encouraging a systematic use of flood marks for a more comprehensive flood risk management, we collected a large number of marks along the Kinzig, south-west Germany, and tested them for plausibility and temporal continuance. Despite uncertainty, the marks appeared to be an overall consistent and practical source that may also increase flood risk awareness. A wide agreement between the current flood hazard maps and the collected flood marks moreover indicated a robust local hazard assessment.