Loss of life estimation and risk level classification due to a dam break

This report estimated the loss of life and the variation of risk level to people and properties from the city of Sao Jose do Jacuipe, at Bahia State, in Brazil, through a simulation of the dam break near the city. The simulations employ the HEC-RAS program with the HEC-GeoRAS plugin, both made available by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The program is a hydrological model for the hydric flow propagation arising from the complete resolution of the Saint-Venant equation, while the plugin was used for vector editing by creating a geomorphological model from the river basin. The results from the research demonstrated that the city is exposed to a risk that is time dependent. In addition, the lack of a warning system about a possible break could cause the death of almost all residents. Otherwise, with a warning system operating, the estimation of destruction would be dramatically reduced.

Automated summary

This report estimated the loss of life and property and the variation of risk level in Sao Jose do Jacuipe, Brazil, caused by a simulated dam break. The study found that the city is exposed to time-dependent risk, and the absence of a warning system could result in significant casualties. However, the presence of a functioning warning system could greatly reduce the extent of destruction.