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Probable Maximum Flood (PMF), is the hypothetical flood estimate relevant to specific catchment whose magnitude is such that there is negligible chance of it being exceeded. It represents a notional upper limit of flood magnitude and no attempt is made to assign a probability of exceedance to such an event. It is also used to define the extent of flood-prone land. The PMF causes the largest scale of flood emergencies and is also therefore often used for emergency management planning.
