Estimation of the evacuation clearance time based on dam-break simulation of the Huaxi dam in Southwestern China

It is necessary for China to establish a feasible method to verify whether an emergency evacuation plan (EEP) provides timely evacuation under the threat of flooding as a result of dam failure. Based on simulating the inundation area resulting from failure of the Huaxi Dam, this paper puts forward a quantitative approach to assess the effectiveness of an EEP by estimating the evacuation clearance times. Differences between urban and rural areas are considered, and two transportation modes are selected. Total evacuation clearance times in rural and urban areas are 135 and 80 min, respectively. Results show that total evacuation clearance times are longer than the time it takes for the flood wave to reach some communities in the area. The paper also makes some suggestions on how to decrease the total clearance time and thus enhance the effectiveness of the EEP for the Huaxi Dam. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2011