Assessing typhoon-induced compound flood drivers: a case study in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Abstract

We investigate the most severe rainfall event ever experienced in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC), Vietnam. It occurred on 25 November 2018 when Typhoon (TY) Usagi directly hit HCMC. During this event, there was more than 300 mm of rainfall over 24 h which led to flooding and considerable material damage. We propose an in-depth study of TY-induced, compound flood drivers at a short timescale by focusing on the days before and after the event. We use a set of data analysis and signal processing tools to characterize and quantify both coastal and inland effects on the hydrosystem. We found that TY Usagi made landfall without forming a significant storm surge. The extreme rainfall does not translate into immediate river discharge but presents a 16 h time lag between peak precipitation and peak residual discharge. Nevertheless, increased river water levels can be seen at both urban and upstream stations with a similar time lag. At the upstream river station, residual discharge represents 1.5 % of available rainwater, and evidence of upstream widespread flooding was found. At the urban river station, we assess the potential surface runoff during the event to be 8.9 % of the upstream residual discharge. However, a time lag in peak river water level and peak rainfall was found and attributed to the combination of high tide and impervious streets which prevented the evacuation of rainwater and resulted in street flooding of up to 0.8 m. Overall, it was found that despite not having a significant storm surge, the coastal tidal forcing is the predominant compound flood driver even during severe, heavy rainfall with tidal fluctuations in river water level and respective discharge much larger than the residuals.