Modeling the Adverse Impact of Rainstorms on a Regional Transport Network

Cities are centers of socioeconomic activities, and transport networks carry cargoes and passengers from one city to another. However, transport networks are influenced by meteorological hazards, such as rainstorms, hurricanes, and fog. Adverse weather impacts can easily spread over a network. Existing models evaluating such impacts usually neglect the transdisciplinary nature of approaches for dealing with this problem. In this article, a mesoscopic mathematical model is proposed to quantitatively assess the adverse impact of rainstorms on a regional transport network in northern China by measuring the reduction in traffic volume. The model considers four factors: direct and secondary impacts of rainstorms, interdependency between network components, and recovery abilities of cities. We selected the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region as the case study area to verify our model. Socioeconomic, precipitation, and traffic volume data in this area were used for model calibration and validation. The case study highlights the potential of the proposed model for rapid disaster loss assessment and risk reduction planning.