The psychological impacts of flooding often last far longer than the physical damage caused, a new Irish study has found.
People described feeling intense fear during floods, followed by worry and hypervigilance afterwards, compounded by anger and despair when recovery was slow.
The strain of insurance and financial aid claims added to their distress, along with an inability to trust they would get adequate warning of another potential flood.
The study’s authors say their research shows flood management should be treated as a public health priority and that mental health supports are needed for people after severe floods.
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“Climate change is increasing both how often floods occur and how severe they can be,” said co-author Ashling Bourke, associate professor at Dublin City University (DCU).
“This will lead to a corresponding rise in mental health difficulties, most notably post-traumatic stress, chronic anxiety, and depression. These symptoms can persist for years after the water recedes.”
Researchers from DCU, Trinity College Dublin and the National College of Ireland collaborated on the study commissioned by the Climate Change Advisory Council.
They gathered experiences from people in Midleton, Co Cork which suffered devastating flooding in 2023, and in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford which has suffered repeated floods for years – the most recent in January.
They also reviewed 100 studies from other countries where severe flooding has occurred more frequently and found experiences were similar in Ireland.
“International research has found that flooding can cause post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety and these symptoms can continue for years,” said lead author Charles Zemp, a PhD candidate at Trinity’s School of Psychology. “Our research finds similar patterns here in Ireland.”
The authors say general mental health supports were needed to help with effects such as “sleep disruption, worry and rumination, intrusive memories, and anger and frustration”.
Referral to specialist care should be an option and tailored supports should be provided for groups such as children.
Several participants emphasised the terror experienced by children, describing them as “crying, shaking, asking if the house was going to fall down,” and in one case developing “day terrors for months afterwards”.
The report comes as communities across the east of the country are still recovering from flooding from Storm Chandra and recurring downpours in January and February.
Some of the worst-hit areas are years away from getting flood defences and Government departments are wrangling over who should take responsibility for a new public flood warning system.
Kristin Hadfield, associate professor at Trinity’s Centre for Global Health, said the study’s findings underlined the importance of properly managing flood risk.
“Flood protection and effective early warning can do more than reduce property damage,” she said.
“They can also reduce fear, disruption and longer-term distress.”
