Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2020-372
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-2020-372
23 Nov 2020
 | 23 Nov 2020
Status: this discussion paper is a preprint. It has been under review for the journal Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences (NHESS). The manuscript was not accepted for further review after discussion.

The catastrophe of the Niedów dam – the dam break causes, development and consequences

Stanisław Kostecki and Robert Banasiak

Abstract. Due to extreme rainfalls in 2010 in the Lusatian Neisse river catchment, a flood event with a return period of over 100 years took place leading to the failure of the Niedów dam. The earth type dam was washed away with a result of a rapid release of nearly 8.5 million m3 of water volume and flooding of the downstream area with substantial material losses. The paper analyses the conditions and causes of the dam’s failure, while special attention is given to the mechanism and dynamics of the compound breaching process. Several empirical formulas for the dam breach prediction are tested with regards to their usefulness in assessing breach dimensions and outflow peak discharge. The paper also describes a numerical approach to simulate the flood propagation downstream the dam with the use of a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model. Considering the specific local conditions and available data set, an iterative, reversed solution of the unsteady state problem is made. This approach enabled to deliver realistic flood propagation estimates, verification of the dam breach outflow, and several important answers on the dam failure consequences.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Stanisław Kostecki and Robert Banasiak
 
Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
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Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
Stanisław Kostecki and Robert Banasiak
Stanisław Kostecki and Robert Banasiak

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Latest update: 10 Nov 2024
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Short summary
The Niedów dam failure caused by an extreme flood event is described. A special emphasis is put on explaining the compound dam break mechanism, its dynamics and resulting outflow from the reservoir, leading to flooding over an extended downstream area. The flood wave propagation in a complex hydrological system is resolved with the use of hydrodynamic 2D modelling. The current prediction formulas for the dam break are also tested and discussed on their performance and usefulness.
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