Spatio-Temporal Analysis of Floods in Galați County, Romania, betwen 2013-2024

Exceptional flood events can occur under specific circumstances, like heavy rainfalls, dam breach, uncontrolled spills form reservoirs, rapid snow or glacial melt. Romania has experience in the last decade several episodes of extreme floods with important loss of life and considerable infrastructure damages. Based on the information collected and processed by Romanian Waters National Administration (RWNA) on flood database reported in Galați County, Romania, during the period 2013-2024, we have recorded 34 flood events due to river overflows and slope runoff, of which three events are labeled as historical: 2013, 2016 and 2024. The 2013 event had nine fatalities, while the 2024 event had seven victims. The three events were described by historical levels and discharge values on the Suhu and Geru streams, tributaries of Siret River. The largest event was recorded in 2024, after a prolonged drought, with extreme rainfalls amount that exceeded in some places more than 150 mm. On the other hand, in three years 2014, 2015 and 2017, no flood damage was reported in Galați County. The highest frequency flood events were recorded in the communes of Băneasa and Drăguşeni, with 13 cases, Valea Mărului with 12 events and in Smulţi commune with 9 events. This paper makes an analysis of latest flood events in Galați County with a special comparison assessment between the three historic mentioned events. Thus, we have focus on their genesis, rainfall amount distribution, floods feature according to the defense levels, flood frequency and physical damage recorded and the affected localities.