Eventos extremos de inundações urbanas: um estudo de caso sobre o município de Cataguases (MG)

Abstract

The development of the urban centers as we know them today is intrinsically linked to the occupation of the land near watercourses. However, the unplanned development of urban areas near rivers has brought with it negative aspects, such as flooding. Historically, the municipality of Cataguases has suffered from recurrent floods of varying magnitudes. Therefore, the objective of this work was to identify the behavior of the flow rates and water levels of the Pomba River and to propose engineering solutions and action plans to minimize the damage caused to the population by the extreme events. Historical data series between the years 2000 and 2021 were acquired from the HidroWeb, SACE, and S2ID platforms. It was found that the municipality of Cataguases most frequently experiences flood events between the months of December, January and February, with the flow rates and water levels of the Pomba River reaching maximum values during the same period. Additionally, it was found that there is underreporting of extreme events in the city by the municipal public agency. In order to make the city more resilient and prepared to face extreme events during the rainy season, it is recommended to implement the engineering works and actions presented.