Dam break events are very scarce but can have disastrous consequences when they occur, causing extensive damages to human lives and infrastructure. Therefore, it is critical to assess the potential consequences of a dam break. This study evaluates the impacts of a possible dam break event on the area downstream of the existing Hamiz dam in northern Algeria. The hydraulic model TELEMAC-2D was employed to simulate the dam break wave propagation, delineate the flooding extent and estimate key flood characteristics, such as water depths, and velocity. TELEMAC-2D outputs were then processed in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to produce hazard and exposure maps for the downstream valley. These maps were then combined in GIS to assess the levels of vulnerability of persons, buildings and vehicles to dam break waves. The results reveal that significant damages to human lives and properties are expected to occur in the event of a failure of Hamiz dam. These findings provide comprehensive insights into the potential consequences of a dam break, serving as a key material for formulating appropriate emergency response strategies to mitigate risks to human life and property. Furthermore, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of TELEMAC-2D in modelling dam break wave propagation and expansion in flat relief areas, and suggests that the proposed framework can be generalized for other dam break studies.
Bouchehed et al. (Sun,) studied this question.