Inundation maps for extreme flood events: Case study of Sidi Bel Abbes city, Algeria

Hydrodynamic modelling is used to analyse the inundation behaviour of Sidi Bel Abbes city (North-West of Algeria) during extreme flood events. The study reach, 5.4 km in length, is a section of Wadi Mekerra through Sidi Bel Abbes city. Land and bathymetric surveys were used to create a digital terrain model (DTM) of the river channel and the floodplain. By coupling the geometry with hydrologic data, a two dimensional hydrodynamic model was built. The model is based on integrating Saint-Venant shallow waters (depth averaged) equations through Runge–Kutta discontinuous Galerkin numerical scheme. It was calibrated in terms of roughness coefficients on measured values of water surface elevation and discharge registered in the Sidi Bel Abbes gauging station. The objective is to draw the flood maps under extreme river flood event. The results are helpful for local authorities in order to take the appropriate defence measures in the future.