Brief communication: Critical infrastructure impacts of the 2021 mid-July western European flood event

• Published in: Natural hazards and earth system sciences Vol. 22; no. 12; pp. 3831 - 3838
• Main Authors: Koks, Elco E., van Ginkel, Kees C. H., van Marle, Margreet J. E., Lemnitzer, Anne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Katlenburg-Lindau Copernicus GmbH 29.11.2022; Copernicus Publications
• Subjects: Bridges; Communication; Cost estimates; Critical infrastructure; Drinking water; Electricity; Environmental risk; Extreme weather; Flood control; Flood risk; Flooding; Floods; Impact damage; Infrastructure; Infrastructure (Economics); Insured losses; Precipitation; Risk assessment; Rivers; Roads & highways; Schools; Sewage; Sewage treatment plants; Sewer systems; Water supply; Belgium; Netherlands; Germany
• ISSN: 1684-9981; 1561-8633; 1684-9981
• DOI: 10.5194/nhess-22-3831-2022

Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands were hit by extreme precipitation and flooding in July 2021. This brief communication provides an overview of the impacts to large-scale critical infrastructure systems and how recovery has progressed. The results show that Germany and Belgium were particularly affected, with many infrastructure assets severely damaged or completely destroyed. Impacts range from completely destroyed bridges and sewage systems, to severely damaged schools and hospitals. We find that (large-scale) risk assessments, often focused on larger (river) flood events, do not find these local, but severe, impacts due to critical infrastructure failures. This may be the result of limited availability of validation material. As such, this brief communication not only will help to better understand how critical infrastructure can be affected by flooding, but also can be used as validation material for future flood risk assessments.