<p>Urban flooding occurs due to a combination of social, economic, and geographical factors, which vary significantly across different locations. The study identifies the criteria and sub-criteria that affect urban flood risk, as a function of Hazard, Exposure and Vulnerability in a rapidly urbanizing coastal city (Kochi) situated along the Southeastern Arabian Sea. The study aims to prioritize and rank urban flood risk criteria, identifying the most critical factors and evaluating the relative influence of each criterion. The study utilizes expert opinions to rank the identified criteria by applying the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM). According to expert assessments LULC exerts the highest influence on urban floods (6.21%), while soil type has the lowest impact (4.6%). This highlights the strong correlation between urbanization patterns and increased flood risk. Permeable green cover, vegetation close to the soil surface, and trees with large canopy were identified as the best options for reducing urban flood risk in the assessment of sub-criteria under the criteria presence of vegetation. Further weighting has been calculated based on expert responses under the FDM; the assessment suggests to assign highest weightage to surface water bodies such as lakes comparing to man-made small-scale water bodies. The weightage calculated in the study can be utilized in the preparation of flood management strategies and projects such as drainage master plans and risk-informed land use planning. The ward-level criteria and risk indices, calculated with the weights obtained through FDM, can assist in formulating challenge-specific actionable flood mitigation strategies. The study helps decision-makers manage resources efficiently, put together suitable mitigation measures, and create efficient disaster response plans for a flood-resilient coastal urban area.</p>