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Rainfall intensity–duration thresholds for postfire debris-flow emergency-response planning

Author

Listed:
  • Susan Cannon
  • Eric Boldt
  • Jayme Laber
  • Jason Kean
  • Dennis Staley

Abstract

Following wildfires, emergency-response and public-safety agencies can be faced with evacuation and resource-deployment decisions well in advance of coming winter storms and during storms themselves. Information critical to these decisions is provided for recently burned areas in the San Gabriel Mountains of southern California. A compilation of information on the hydrologic response to winter storms from recently burned areas in southern California steeplands is used to develop a system for classifying magnitudes of hydrologic response. The four-class system describes combinations of reported volumes of individual debris flows, consequences of debris flows and floods in an urban setting, and spatial extents of the hydrologic response. The range of rainfall conditions associated with different magnitude classes is defined by integrating local rainfall data with the response magnitude information. Magnitude I events can be expected when within-storm rainfall accumulations (A) of given durations (D) fall above the threshold A = 0.4D 0.5 and below A = 0.5D 0.6 for durations greater than 1 h. Magnitude II events will be generated in response to rainfall accumulations and durations between A = 0.4D 0.5 and A = 0.9D 0.5 for durations less than 1 h, and between A = 0.5D 0.6 and A = 0.9D 0.5 or durations greater than 1 h. Magnitude III events can be expected in response to rainfall conditions above the threshold A = 0.9D 0.5 . Rainfall threshold-magnitude relations are linked with potential emergency-response actions as an emergency-response decision chart, which leads a user through steps to determine potential event magnitudes and identify possible evacuation and resource-deployment levels. Use of this information in planning and response decision-making process could result in increased safety for both the public and emergency responders. Copyright US Government 2011

Suggested Citation

  • Susan Cannon & Eric Boldt & Jayme Laber & Jason Kean & Dennis Staley, 2011. "Rainfall intensity–duration thresholds for postfire debris-flow emergency-response planning," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 59(1), pages 209-236, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:nathaz:v:59:y:2011:i:1:p:209-236
    DOI: 10.1007/s11069-011-9747-2
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    Cited by:

    1. Alexander N. Gorr & Luke A. McGuire & Rebecca Beers & Olivia J. Hoch, 2023. "Triggering conditions, runout, and downstream impacts of debris flows following the 2021 Flag Fire, Arizona, USA," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 117(3), pages 2473-2504, July.
    2. Raquel Melo & José Luís Zêzere, 2017. "Modeling debris flow initiation and run-out in recently burned areas using data-driven methods," Natural Hazards: Journal of the International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, Springer;International Society for the Prevention and Mitigation of Natural Hazards, vol. 88(3), pages 1373-1407, September.
    3. Ruoshen Lin & Gang Mei & Ziyang Liu & Ning Xi & Xiaona Zhang, 2021. "Susceptibility Analysis of Glacier Debris Flow by Investigating the Changes in Glaciers Based on Remote Sensing: A Case Study," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(13), pages 1-23, June.

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