Flood susceptibility in rural settlements in remote zones: The case of a mountainous basin in the Sierra-Costa region of Michoacán, Mexico

Maps of natural hazards are essential for the prevention or mitigation of disasters. The Nexpa River mountainous basin is in the Sierra-Costa region of the state of Michoacán, Mexico. The dispersed rural settlements in the basin, accessed through a network of mainly minor roads and tracks, are highly vulnerable in cases of catastrophic hydrometeorological events. Our study aimed to map flood zones and assess flood susceptibility in the basin on the basis of geopedology, topography, land cover and land use, to assess the vulnerability of local rural settlements and their network of roads and tracks. The land morphology was mapped and the weighted overlay technique was applied in a geographic information system to generate maps of susceptibility to flooding. Our results showed that 13% of settlements and 7% of the communication network are within flood zones. Maps based on environmental factors showed low to medium susceptibility to flooding. These methods are useful and effective for zones with little or no hydrometeorological information, and they can provide a robust source of information for decision makers regarding land planning to mitigate flood vulnerability. •Three major potential flood zones were mapped in the basin.•The main factors were steepness, curvature, distance from streams and soil texture.•13% of settlements and 7% of communication routes fell in potential flood zones.•Isolation of dispersed rural settlements increased vulnerability to flood risk.•The methods applied are useful in zones with unavailable hydrological information.