Dear Authors,

The paper presents new concepts for subsurface included in the distributed hydrologic flood model MARINE in order to improve the model performances in reproducing spatial and temporal dynamic of soil moisture during flash flood events. The comparison with both in situ and innovative satellite soil moisture data leads also to interesting results.

The topic of the paper is of interest for HESS and for operational hydrology. However, both reviewers raised several crucial points which need to be improved and clarified, especially: i) Do the better results related to the new model formulation or to its parameterization? ii) The use of only three flood events limits the generalization of the results ; iii) The need to discuss the reasons of some low performances of the model; iv) The use of only one in situ soil moisture station per catchment for the study which cannot be sufficient; v) The need that some analyses be investigated more in-depth.

The authors gave some convincing responses for some points raised by both reviewers, and suggest modifications to improve the revised version of the manuscript. As proposed by reviewers, I recommend major revisions and invite the authors to submit a revised version responding point by point to all points raised by reviewers.

Kind regards,

Roger Moussa

Dear Authors,

The revised version of the manuscript was largely improved giving responses to all comments raised by both Reviewers. I believe the paper is now almost ready for publication after making some technical corrections asked by both Reviewers.

Thank you very much for considering publishing your paper in HESS.

Kind regards,

Roger Moussa