Testing empirical criteria for breach geometry estimation to recent embankment failure datasets

Considering the potential collapse of river embankment structures on riverine flood hazard assessment significantly improves the reliability of the inundation maps. Breach formations should be included in inundation modelling by defining their geometry, and in particular their length. This contribution aims at testing the application of the Zomorodi (2020)’s empirical equations for breach parameters estimation to a new and large database of breach failures occurred in Northern Italy in May 2023. In particular, the considered approach provides the breach length as a function of levee height and type of material. The comparison indicates a good accordance between the observed and estimated values, demonstrating the reliability of the prediction. Future research will delve deeper into the failure mechanisms of the collapsed embankment sections, potentially revealing additional connections between failure mechanisms and breach dimensions.