Climate change futures: health, ecological and economic dimensions

60 | EXTREME WEATHER EVENTSFLOODSFOCUS ON THE 2002 FLOODSIN EUROPEKristie L. EbiBACKGROUNDWorldwide, from 1992 to 2001, there were 2,257reported extreme weather events, includingdroughts/famines, extreme temperature, floods, forest/scrubfires, cyclones and windstorms. The most frequentnatural weather disaster was flooding (43% of2,257 disasters), killing almost 100,000 people andaffecting regions with more than 1.2 billion people(EM-DAT/CRED 2005).Floods are the most common natural disaster inEurope. During the past two decades, several extremeSan Marco Square, Venice, Italyfloods have occurred in Central European rivers, includingthe Rhine, Meuse, Po, Odra and Wisla, culminatingin the disastrous August 2002 flood in the ElbeRiver basin and parts of the Danube basin. Flood damagesof the magnitude seen in the August 2002 Elbeflood exceeded levels not seen since the 13th century,reaching a peak water level of 9.4 meters (31 feet)(Commission of the European Communities 2002).The 2002 flooding in Central Europe was of unprecedentedproportions, with scores of people losing theirlives, extensive damage to the socioeconomic infrastructure,and destruction of the natural and culturalheritage (Commission of the European Communities2002). Germany, the Czech Republic and Austriawere the three countries most severely affected. Heavyand widespread precipitation started on 6 August ineastern and southern Germany, Austria, Hungary andin the southwest Czech Republic (Munich Re NatCatService). Flood waves formed on several major rivers,including the Danube, Elbe, Vltava, Inn and Salzach,with extremely high water levels causing widespreadflooding in surrounding low-lying areas.The regions affected included those above, plus France,northern and central Italy, northeast Spain, the BlackSea coast and Slovakia. It was estimated that 80-100fatalities resulted from drowning (Munich Re NatCatCASE STUDIESSan Marco Square now floods many times each year.Image: Corbis