For the first time flood mortality is analysed and compared between a Western (Portugal) and an Eastern Mediterranean country (Greece). Flood fatalities are examined and compared in terms of frequency, temporal evolution, spatial distribution, deadliest flood types, gender of the victims, circumstances surrounding fatalities, and individual and societal risk. A common flood fatalities database was formed for the period 1960–2010 by merging the DISASTER database for Portugal and the Greek database. Individual flood cases generated more deaths in Greece than in Portugal (excluding an outlier flash flood event in the latter). Despite some fluctuations evidence of a gradual decrease in fatality numbers were recorded for both countries. Since the 1980's the number of flood cases with multiple fatalities has been gradually declining, due to changes in qualitative characteristics of mortality. Flood fatalities predominantly occur during autumn in Greece and during winter in Portugal. In both Greece and Portugal flash floods were responsible for more than 80% of the total mortality. The main metropolitan areas of each country were found to be hotspots of flood mortality; a trend connected, with the higher population density along the coastal areas combined with the expansion of urban fabric towards floodprone areas. Gender distribution of fatalities indicates that males are more vulnerable in both countries. The circumstances surrounding fatalities showed that fatalities occurring inside buildings have been gradually reducing in time, while vehicle-related deaths have been rising, showing that individuals hold an active role when they voluntarily enter in floodwaters during a flood.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Purpose: – Tropical storms pose a significant threat to population despite the noteworthy improvements in forecasting and emergency management. Following the effects of Hurricane Sandy in the continental North America (USA and Canada) and the Caribbean, the purpose of this paper is to examine the mortality caused by the hurricane, focussing on differences in human vulnerability between these two regions.Design/methodology/approach: – The authors developed a database of 233 deaths, consisting of variables that provided a description of the circumstances under which the fatal incidents occurred and demographic details of the victims.Findings: – Analysis of the database showed higher percentages of female and young victims in the Caribbean than in continental North America, where mortality increased progressively with age and the ratio of males to females was higher. The majority of deaths occurred outdoors especially during clean-up and in vehicle crashes related to the storm. Physical trauma and drowning were identified as the most common causes of death, followed by carbon monoxide poisoning, hypothermia and others, although substantially different percentages were recorded between the two regions. Overall, indirect deaths presented a higher percentage than direct ones. Among the latter, incidents caused by storm surge and tree falls showed the highest numbers. Power failure and car crashes were the most common cause of indirect incidents.Originality/value: – The paper provides a thorough analysis of the circumstances under which fatal incidents occurred. It identifies parameters that affected the vulnerability of human life to the storm and discusses the differences between the Caribbean and continental North America.

This work focuses on the analysis of vehicle-related flood fatalities in Greece, in an effort to provide a better understanding on the circumstances under which they occur. Therefore, an inventory of 60 fatalities associated with the use of vehicles, induced during 37 flood events between 1970 and 2010, was studied. To this end, we developed a database consisting of variables that provided a systematic description of the circumstances under which each incident occurred, including details of the surrounding environment, the road infrastructure, specifics on the incident and demographic details of the involved individuals. Analysis showed an increase in vehicle-related cases over the period of study, with the majority of the incidents occurring after 1990. Males, and individuals between 40 and 69 years old, showed an increased representation among both the drivers and the victims, although the latter showed an overrepresentation of young individuals as well. Most events occurred during nighttime and in rural areas of the country. With respect to the surroundings, most cases occurred on paved road network and bridges that proved vulnerable to flooding phenomena. In a significant number of cases, fatal incidents occurred on paved river crossings, constructed on the riverbed of usually dry torrents or waterways. Drowning was found to be the primary cause of death. Analysis of the drivers’ actions, exactly before the incident, showed that in the majority of occasions, they chose to enter into flooded areas, either to travel across or to save someone, or recover something. In some cases, vehicle occupants found themselves in a hazardous position when floodwaters rose unexpectedly, giving them no chance to avoid danger. It was therefore found that drivers, pursued an active, rather than a passive, stance in the majority of incidents, attributed, in certain occasions, to an underestimation of risk.