Prior exposure to major flooding increases individual preparedness in high-risk populations.

INTRODUCTION July 2007 brought unprecedented levels of flooding to the United Kingdom. Health and financial implications were vast and still are emerging. Hydrological disasters will increase in frequency. Therefore, individual preparedness is paramount, as it may mitigate some of the devastating impacts of flooding. Literature on individual preparedness for flooding is scarce, so it is key that current levels of awareness, information gathering, and protective behaviors are investigated. It also is not clear whether being in a high-risk area or having recent exposure to flooding are motivational factors for preparedness. OBJECTIVES The objectives of this study were to: (1) ascertain whether prior experience with flooding is a strong motivational factor for preparedness for future flooding episodes; and (2) assess preparedness in populations at high risk for flooding. METHODS A prospective questionnaire survey was sent to individuals living in two towns in the United Kingdom, Monmouth and Tewkesbury. Both towns are deemed to be at significant risk for flooding, and Tewkesbury was severely affected by the July 2007 flooding disaster. Data were obtained from these two populations and analyzed. RESULTS A total of 125 responses (of 200) were returned, and demographic data indicated no major differences between the two populations. The number of protective behaviors was higher from participants from Tewksbury (flood risk and exposure; p=0.004). Participants from Tewkesbury were more likely to be aware of living in a flood-risk area and of the emergency systems present in the area, and feel prepared for future episodes of major flooding (p=0.03, p=0.005). Awareness of living in a flood risk-area increased the likelihood of being knowledgeable about emergency systems and adopting protective behaviors (p=0.0053, p=0.043). However, feeling prepared for future episodes of flooding was not associated with a strong increase in knowledge gained to prepare for flooding or having an increased number of protective behaviors. CONCLUSIONS Awareness of being at-risk for flooding is vital for self-protective behavior. Both awareness of risk and recent exposure are motivational for flood preparedness. Recent exposure to flooding increases awareness, but it is unknown how long this effect will last. Recent exposure increases the preparedness of individuals for major flooding 18 months after major flooding and, if it continues, will help mitigate the devastating health, financial, and social effects of major flooding.