Numerical Modeling of the Behavior of a Destructive Rain Flood on a Mountain River

Abstract—The objective of this study was to provide the most accurate presentation of the behavior of a disastrous rain flood, which had resulted in destruction of a dam, casualties, and significant material damage. The problems set were solved by methods of numerical modeling in the two-dimensional setting applying the STREAM 2D CUDA software package. To calculate the rain flood, a catchment model of the Durso River was developed on a triangular non-uniform mesh, adapted to the river channel and the main inflows. To ensure direct numerical modeling of the dam’s destruction, a model was developed, which included the water area of the reservoir, the dam, composed of non-homogeneous earth material, and a downstream section of the river from the dam to the river mouth. The main results of the study were: the hydrograph of the water discharge of the rain flood, calculated by the actual precipitation data; a description of the washout of the earth dam composed of non-homogeneous materials, resulting from water spill over the dam crest, and a desctiption of the downstream spread of the breach wave.