Research into flood early warning systems prioritises financial impact rather than health

Existing research into the benefits of flood early warning systems has focused on their impact on tangible losses, such as damage to property, rather than looking at their effectiveness for reducing the negative health impacts of flooding. 

The Evidence Service at Public Health Wales recently produced a scoping review which aimed to examine whether flood early warning systems have been effective in mitigating the health impacts of flooding. 

The review found very little evidence looking at the effectiveness of flood early warning systems on health impacts, with the majority of existing research focused on the mitigating impact that systems have on property or other tangible assets. 

There was some evidence that those who received early warnings of flooding benefited, with research suggesting that the longer the time from warning to flood, the lesser the negative short- or long-term health effects. 

Another study showed that depression and PTSD were higher among people who were displaced by flooding and who had received no early warning, compared to those who received a flood warning more than 12 hours in advance. 

In addition, the service carried out a review of the evidence examining interventions to support mental health and wellbeing in areas at risk of flooding and after a flooding event. 

The scoping review found no secondary research that focused soley on mental health and wellbeing interventions for those effected by flooding. However, there was some research which looked at disasters more generally and suggested that distress resulting from a flood is usually temporary for the majority of people, but that some people may need to be referred to specialist mental health services for significant and enduring psychological problems. 

Amy Hookway, Principal Evidence and Knowledge Analyst in the Evidence Service at Public Health Wales, said: “Flooding can have a significant impact on both mental and physical health, both when an actual flood occurs and when individuals are aware that they live in a flood-risk area. 

“There is a clear case for further research to be done in these areas, particularly with indications that climate change will result in flooding happening more often in Wales.” 

The full report can be found here. 

Flooding & Health: summary of two scoping reviews of the literature