Types of Behavior of Flood Victims around Floodwaters. Correlation with Situational and Demographic Factors

Recently, human behavior around floodwaters has been acknowledged as one of the factors that influence the risk of fatal incidents. The present study analyzes the behavior of flood victims by developing a systematic classification of their actions at the time of the flood. Based on this taxonomy, th...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Sustainability 2020-06, Vol.12 (11), p.4409
Main Author: Diakakis, Michalis
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Automobile safety
Behavior
Classification
Decision making
Demography
Fatalities
Flood predictions
Floods
Floodwater
Human behavior
Mathematical models
Risk
Risk taking
Statistical analysis
Statistical models
Sustainability
Taxonomy
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Summary:Recently, human behavior around floodwaters has been acknowledged as one of the factors that influence the risk of fatal incidents. The present study analyzes the behavior of flood victims by developing a systematic classification of their actions at the time of the flood. Based on this taxonomy, the study examines a flood fatality database for Greece (1960–2019) to quantify the different types of behavior and to examine potential correlations with various demographical and situational factors. Results show that three-quarters of the victims exhibit a risk-taking behavior by deliberately coming in contact with floodwaters. Statistically significant associations were found between behavior and the demographics of the victims, the type surrounding environment, and the use of vehicles, indicating that certain situations and certain individuals are more prone to risk-taking behaviors than others. A statistical model shows that the behavior of a flood victim can be predicted with high accuracy by knowing certain variables of a fatal incident. The prevalence of risk-taking actions identified is a strong indication that human behavior is a crucial factor in flood mortality. The present study shows that a systematic classification of behaviors can help future interventions by highlighting the most common mechanisms of fatal incidents.
ISSN:2071-1050
2071-1050
DOI:10.3390/su12114409