Extensive human-induced modifications of the river corridor, steep terrain and antecedent hydrological conditions significantly intensified the catastrophic flash floods triggered by cloudbursts last year in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, according to the findings of a study. The research focuses on flash floods that occurred between June 29 and July 1 last year and has been published in Taylor & Francis UK’s ‘Geomatics, Natural Hazards and Risk’ journal. The study further revealed that structures located immediately adjacent to the river channel suffered the most severe damage, irrespective of their construction type. The study concluded that a building’s proximity to hydraulically constrained flow paths was a stronger predictor of damage than its structural characteristics. Additionally, the research team has developed and validated a satellite-driven hydrodynamic modelling framework for assessing and reducing the impacts of cloudburst-induced flash floods in the Himalayan region, officials added.