Flooding – Deeper than Water Damage

More than 5 million UK residents live and work in a flood risk area, some 1 in 6 properties within the country are recognised as being at risk of flooding. In turn, this means that flooding is one of the biggest naturally occurring threats to the UK and its resident. The escalation in flood incidence has led to increased flood defences and the amount of homeowner investment in personal flood protection and prevention measures is growing year on year as residents make desperate attempts to protect their property. In spite of this, flood insurance has become problematic for many.

However, it is not only physical damage that arises post flood trauma; new research has emerged which illustrates the vast psychological impacts experienced by flood victims. In order to investigate further, Public Health England commissioned a report which recognised the three most commonly experienced mental affects as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression. Mental health awareness is becoming more prominent in our modern-day society, with strong emphasis being placed on attempting to remove the associated stigma as psychologists aim to gain better understanding of patient’s experiences.

Upon interviewing several families affected by flooding for the purpose of this article, it became explicitly clear that it is not only the primary source eg. the flood itself that causes immense stress, but the secondary sources which occur as a result of trauma during that aftermath period. For some victims the associated anxiety never truly left them; they experienced constant torment through fear and the threat of a repeat flood incident. Associate Professor or flood risk management at UWE Bristol, Dr Jessica Lammond refers to this fear of a repeat flooding incident as ‘flood memory’; by definition, ‘the differential level of vulnerability caused by the attendant effect of the damage as a result of flooding and the limited window of recovery time between events’. Dr Lammond suggests that with any trauma experience, ‘trigger events’ can cause a reoccurrence in the stress experienced. This is supported by interviewees who stated they felt immediately stressed whenever their communities experienced severe rainfall. The recommendations made to control and manage the impact of ‘trigger events’ include the construction of a strategic flood plan*, alongside the installation of preventative flood protection measures.

It is often in a state of true disrepair post flood trauma, that flood victims contact their insurance brokers. This in turn places a need on industry professionals to act as a means of support to victims during the flood recovery process, highlighting a huge gap in the existing services available to victims. Although each insurance broker can offer a similar home insurance product, what differentiates a firm is their ability to empathise with and support victims through the entirety of their recovery. In a way reminiscent of how Lloyds bank have partnered with Macmillan to provide specialist trained staff which are able to sympathise with cancer patients and their families when offering financial advice, there is evidence to suggest that insurance firms such as Lycetts could offer a more desirable service if they enroll specialist trained staff whom offer a bespoke service to victims of flood trauma.

*Details on how to construct an effective flood plan can be found online at GOV.co.uk ‘Personal Flood Plan’