• Energy Research

As the effects of climate change become more visible, extreme weather events are becoming more common. The effects of flooding on health are understood but the long-term impact on the well-being of those affected need to be considered. This mixed methods secondary analysis of a cross-sectional survey examined the extent to which being flooded in the past is associated with ongoing concerns about flooding. Survey data were collected from residents in Hull 11 years after the initial flooding event. Respondents were asked about the floods in 2007 and their current level of concern about flooding. Ordinal logistic regression explored the effect of age and tenancy status as predictors of current concern. Textual data were analyzed using thematic content analysis. Responses were received from 457 households, of whom 202 (48%) were affected by flooding in 2007. A fifth of respondents were very concerned about future flooding. Those who were not flooded were significantly less concerned about the risk of future flooding (U = 33391.0, z = 5.89, p < 0.001). Those who reported negative health and wellbeing effects from the floods were significantly more concerned about future flooding than those whose health was not affected (U = 7830.5, z = 4.43, p < 0.001). Whilst some residents were reassured by the introduction of new flood alleviation schemes, others did not feel these were adequate, and worried about the impact of climate change. The financial and emotional impacts of the floods still resonated with families 11 years after the event, with many fearing they would not cope if it happened again. Despite the 2007 floods in Hull happening over a decade ago, many of those affected continue to experience high levels of anxiety when storms are forecast. Residents feel powerless to protect themselves, and many remain unconvinced by the presence of new flood alleviation schemes. However, with the ongoing threat of climate change, it may be that other residents are unrealistic in their expectation to be ‘protected’ from flood events. Therefore, public health agencies need to be able to mobilize organizations to come together to pro-actively support families affected by flooding, to ensure those in need do not fall through the gaps of public healthcare delivery.

In England, the Environment Agency (EA) estimates that over 3 million properties in England are at risk of surface water flooding. Heavy and prolonged rainfall that drives surface water flooding is projected to increase in the future due to climate change. This paper presents a quantitative secondary analysis of a cross-sectional household flood survey in a disadvantaged city in England heavily impacted by surface water flooding in 2007 and at severe risk of flooding in the future. The aim of this study was to examine how previous experience of flooding, demographic factors, and behaviours impact on feelings of protection against flooding and perceived ability to recover from flooding. Survey data were collected from residents in Hull in northern England in 2018, in areas impacted by major floods in 2007 when over 8,600 households were flooded. Valid responses were received from 453 households, of whom 37.3% were flooded or flooding damaged their house (n = 169), 14.6% had been disrupted by flooding (n = 66), 9.3% had been exposed to flooding (n = 42) and 176 (38.9%) had not experienced flooding. Over 22% felt they had very low protection against flooding, and over 25% would make a very slow recovery if they were flooded. Associations were found between gender and both low levels of protection against flooding. Females were less likely to feel confident in their recovery from flooding than males (OR 0.551). The findings support a need to focus on women’s perceptions of flood vulnerability and capacity to cope and recover from flooding in flood and disaster management policy and practice, including providing effective support before, during and after flooding.