How do Dutch people cope with the risks of or actual floods? And what are possible psychological effects of flood?

This are just some of the questions authors Baan & Klijn (2004) were trying to answer in their review. Some interesting things they found out are listed below.

People that are familiar with high levels of water are less stressed about this, than people who are not familiar with this. In other words: people that have been living in an area with high water levels and are thus used to these levels, are less stressed than people that just moved to the area. The people that have been living in the area longer have developed  skills to cope with the situation of high water levels, technically as well as psychologically.

Negative effects of flood

Having a flood in the area you live causes a lot of stress. Some things that can cause stress after a flood are:

• Low expectations of selling prices of houses
• Having to leave home
• Lack of practical and emotional support
• Lack of advice on what to do
• Problems in dealing with insurers and builders
• Stress from living in damp and damaged properties
• Increased financial worries
• The loss of memorabilia and sentimental possessions

Especially the last point may cause a lot of emotional distress, since memorabilia and sentimental possessions are irreplaceable. People develop a sense of self, based on where they live, so when their whole home is distroyed this can have a lot of negative consequences on emotional wellbeing.

Things that help coping better

The people that feel less threatened are usually the ones that are well-prepared and who know how to act adequately during and after a flood. Next to that, people that are well-insured cope better with the threat of damage and losses. This is because they are asured that flood damage will be compensated for. People who have to ask the government for financial assistance after a disaster on the other hand,  feel stressed, dependent and inferior.

Positive psychological effects of flood

As weird as is sounds, not all feelings experienced during or after a flood are negative. The experience of togetherness and solidarity are some things that are mentioned as positive feelings after a flood, as the social relationships between citizens often improve during and after an imediate flood. Next to this, the gratitude of offered help is also seen as a positive effect.
More extreme, some people even consider a flood as exciting and like
its mild danger.