The flooding of New Orleans due to hurricane Katrina in the year 2005 showed the world the catastrophic consequences of large-scale floods. This dissertation presents a method for the estimation of loss of life caused by the flooding of low-lying delta areas. It also includes a preliminary analysis of the loss of life due to the flooding of New Orleans. A case study for an area in the Netherlands shows how the developed methods can be used to assess the flood risks and identify mitigation strategies. In addition, a theoretical framework for the quantitative assessment of risks is introduced with special emphasis on the estimation of loss of life due to disasters. It is applicable to different accident types in the engineering domain, such as floods, earthquakes and chemical accidents.