[The scientific bases for determining the health losses of the affected population in catastrophic flooding].

The article focuses on methodological approaches to the determination of sanitary losses among population in a catastrophic flood. An emergency is considered that can arise in the destruction of the water-development project assemblies. The following items were taken account of in working out of the above approaches: population density in the territories found to be in the zone of flood: notification and evacuation of the population from the zone of catastrophe in a timely fashion, the distance from the site of formation of the wave of breaking to the populated locality, the height and velocity of the wave of breaking, time of the year and day of the catastrophe. Scientific and methodological approaches and the mathematical model "Povin'" ("Flood") developed with the aid of such approaches permit analyzing the situation having presented itself, working out administrative decisions for the territorial public health services directing bodies to be taken in the current situation, instituting measures designed to eliminate medicosanitary effects of the catastrophic flood within the shortest time possible.