Tomas Bata University in Zlín

More Accurate Protection of Municipalities Against Flash Floods

The Faculty of Logistics and Crisis Management, in collaboration with the Faculty of Applied Informatics at Tomas Bata University in Zlín, is developing a unique application called FLAPRIS.

This tool aims to significantly improve flash flood risk forecasting, down to the level of individual municipalities. “The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute issues warnings for larger administrative areas, while our application enables forecasts for specific municipalities with accuracy up to 30 minutes in advance,” explains the project’s principal investigator, David Šaur from the Faculty of Applied Informatics.

The FLAPRIS application analyzes factors such as terrain slope, soil type and saturation, and can estimate potential water flow paths and affected areas during heavy rainfall. “Thanks to detailed data, the application can predict the exact path of water and identify high-risk spots, which greatly facilitates rescue operations and enhances the protection of residents,” adds Jakub Rak from the Faculty of Logistics and Crisis Management.

The development of the application is supported by the Regional Office in Zlín, which provides researchers with data from meteorological radar. Researchers are testing the application’s reliability on real events in the region in cooperation with firefighters. Upon successful testing, FLAPRIS could be used by the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute as well as municipal and regional crisis management authorities.

This project is part of a broader research program in which the faculties are also working together on the TORPIS system for tornado detection and preparing to join the HORIZON international project focused on landslide risk. The research activities of both faculties contribute to the development of modern and effective tools for crisis prevention and management.