Assessing Flood Risk to Critical Infrastructure of Ohio Valley Inland Airports

Abstract

This paper uses a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based Flood Simulation Analysis in ESRI ArcGIS Pro (Version 3.4) to evaluate flood vulnerability of seven inland airports in the Ohio River Valley under two extreme precipitation scenarios: a short-duration flash flood (10 inches over 5 hours) and a longer duration regional event (16 inches over 24 hours).  Recent increases in the frequency and intensity of heavy rainfall events have contributed to growing disruption risks for infrastructure, including airports and airport operations. While prior research has focused primarily on coastal airports exposed to storm surge and sea-level rise, inland airports are also vulnerable to flooding and require further study.  Using the Flood Simulation Analysis Tool, planning-level analysis was conducted to assess inundation and potential impacts on critical infrastructure including runways, taxiways, access roads and ramps. Research findings show that all airports studied exhibit varying degrees of vulnerability, with smaller and lower-lying airports generally experiencing greater surface water accumulation on operational surfaces. Because this initial model does not incorporate drainage, infiltration or evaporation, results represent conservative, worst-case accumulation scenarios driven by precipitation and local topography. This research demonstrates the value of using widely available GIS tools for conducting screening-level assessments of airport flood vulnerability.  This approach provides a consistent framework for identifying infrastructure most susceptible to inundation and can be used to support early-stage resilience planning for airports.