Leveraging Geospatial Techniques to Understand Flood and Rainfall Dynamics in Urban Cities

Urban flooding is an incessant challenge due to extreme rainfall and inadequate drainage infrastructure. This study explores the paradoxical relationship between rainfall intensity and flood occurrence in cities like Chicago. Leveraging Google Earth Engine (GEE), we integrate Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) datasets from Sentinel-1 at every 10-day cycle for flood mapping, and daily scale CHIRPS: Rainfall Estimates from Rain Gauge and Satellite Observations datasets for rainfall patterns, to create a comprehensive view of factors driving flood risks. With its flat terrain and continuous urban sprawl, Chicago, with its large-scale flood management initiatives such as Tunnel and Reservoir Project (TARP), still faces challenges from heavy precipitation events and aging infrastructure. These contrasting landscapes provide a compelling backdrop to understand how physical geography, urbanization, and the impact of varying rainfall intensities influence flood dynamics. Preliminary findings suggest that areas with high rainfall intensity and effective water management systems experience lower flood incidence than regions with moderate precipitation but aging drainage infrastructure. This research addresses the need for localized strategies and large-scale perturbations to mitigate flood risks and highlights the correlation between rainfall and hydrological resilience. For interdisciplinary stakeholders, a high-resolution flood inundation model offers insights to address urban flood challenges effectively.