Flash floods versus river floods – a comparison of psychological impacts and implications for precautionary behaviour

Abstract

Abstract. River floods are among the most damaging natural disasters that occur frequently in Germany, causing high economic losses and affecting many residents. In 2016, several Southern German municipalities were hit by flash floods after heavy rainfalls which have been unexpectedly severe and led to total economic losses of EUR 2.6 bn. This study investigates the psychological impacts of river floods and compares them to the impacts of flash floods, using computer-aided telephone interviews that were conducted among flood affected households 8 to 9 months in the aftermath of the events. By applying Bayesian statistics and negative binomial regressions, the suitability of psychological indicators to predict the precaution motivation of individuals is analysed. The results show that not the particular flood type, but rather the severity and local impact of the event is crucial for different and potentially negative impacts on mental health. Moreover, it is revealed that the derived psychological indicators coping appraisal, threat appraisal, burden and evasion only show a limited usefulness for predictions of the individual precaution motivation, which is displayed by a generally low explanation power and non-significant results. Further research is needed to better address established psychological assessment procedures and to focus on alternative data sources regarding floods and the connected precaution motivation of affected residents.

Flash flood assessment at Upper Cisadane Watershed using land use/land cover and morphometric factors

“…Flash floods can occur in small catchments with steep slopes. This causes fast unpredictable flow dynamics and velocity, and high sediment transport flows [3]. In 2020, there were 24 cases of flood and flash flood disaster that occurred in the upper Cisadane watershed area.…”