Maths in flood protection

The 2002 flooding of the Elbe River in Dresden, Germany, showed that apart from the obvious destruction caused by surface water, considerable damage was caused by groundwater and water from the sewer system. Groundwater levels can rise quickly due to overflowing sewers or above-ground flow, causing basement flooding and structural damage to houses. Thus, a coupled simulation of the three components surface water, groundwater and the sewer system is important for flood risk management.