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The former Cyclone Alfred felt the flood. Here’s how floods affect our health
Mar
The former Alfred cyclone brings considerable rainfall to the south-eastern Queensland and the northern rivers of Recent South Wales. Flood He hit Lismore, Ballina, Grafton, Brisbane and Hervey Bay, which they received 150 mm rainfall In two hours this morning.
Tragically, a A 61-year-old man died After sweeping in flood waters near Dorrigo in the northern Recent South Wales.
More weighty rain and violent floods expected In the coming days, the weather system moves deep in and weakens.
Climate change means that these weather events more intense and frequent. At the beginning of this year, Far North Queensland Experienced solemn flood. As the inhabitants of Northern Rivers, the latter disaster is particularly hard, because only three years ago we stood in the face of catastrophic floods in 2022.
We studied influence Floods for human health And well-being and found floods are associated with a number of effects of physical and mental health in both tiny and long-term.
What can you experience if you live in the area affected by these floods?
We analyzed the evidence
We Recently checked Studies of the influence of floods on physical and mental health in continental Australia. We included 69 studies in our review, published in 70 years. Most came from the last ten years, examining the effects of floods in Queensland and NSW.
Scott Radford-Chisolm/AAP
These studies suggest that people can expect a number of health influences. Immediate flood effects on physical health include drowningfalls and injuries.
Chronic diseases Such as diabetes or kidney disease can also get worse due to factors such as reduced access to transport, healthcare, medicines and hospitals.
Exposure to contaminated flood waters can lead to skin infections, while breathing problems may occur due to mold and saturated housing after a flood.
The floods also create ideal conditions for infections transferred by mosquitoes Ross River virus AND Murray Valley encephalitisAt the same time, spreading infectious diseases, including leptospirosisBacterial infection with contaminated soil.
Read more: Don’t go wading in flood water if you can support her. This is a health threat to people – and dogs
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There are also consequences of mental health
Our review also showed floods influence mental health. The more exposed to flood water at home or company, the worse the effects of mental health will be.
. After the flood The study was examined by mental health and well -being six months after the flood in 2017 in the northern rivers. He found people who had flood water at home, yard or business or who were displaced from home for over six months, were much more likely To have likely post -traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or depression, compared to those who have not experienced floods or were not evaporated.
Murray McClosmey/Aap
Repeated natural disasters can intensify these consequences of mental health. The south -eastern Queensland and Northern Rivers have experienced many disasters in recent years. The northern rivers stood in the face of solemn floods in 2017, Bush fires in 2020, further solemn floods in 2022, and now Alfred’s cyclone in 2025. These repetitive disasters affected our community, creating a seemingly endless recovery cycle, reconstruction and preparation for the next disaster.
Our understanding of the unique challenges that communities are facing, which experience many disasters, is still growing. However, Last Australian study He showed that exposure to repetitive disasters has an impact on people’s mental health, which leads to worse mental health results compared to people experiencing one disaster.
Read more: Cyclone Alfred is already retraumatized people who survived other disasters. I am one of them
I have and children
The health effects of the flood go far beyond the initial emergency situation and beyond the consequences of infection and mental health that can be expected.
. Flood study in Queensland Executioned pregnant women exposed to Brisbane plaintiffs in 2011. Scientists assessed the stress of flood -related mothers and followed them and their children six weeks, six months, 16 months, 2.5 years, four and six years. Found some connections between prenatal stress and developmental results in children.
Nastyaofly/Shutterstock
While the health effects after the plaintiff are varied, the current tests are not comprehensive. We need to learn more about how floods contribute or tighten existing chronic diseases, disability and long -term mental health problems.
The effects are unfair
The flood exposes and worsens existing unevenness. Groups susceptible to socially are more often exposed to a flood in their homes and have less access to resources to react and recover from these events, causing that some groups on a greater risk of negative impact on health.
Some studies concerned disproportionate influence disabled people and their guardiansIN The community of the first nations and people from Defective backgrounds.
For example, after the flood in Northern Rivers in 2017, disabled people and their guardians more often than others:
- Experience disturbed access to food, support networks and necessary, such as healthcare and social services
- Still, don’t take care of the flood six months after it happened
- Be a relatively high risk of post -traumatic stress syndrome six months after the flood.
However, targeted flood studies examining the experiences of these sensitive groups in Australia are narrow.
Going further, it is significant to examine the various effects of flood events for more sensitive groups, thanks to which we can better support them after destructive events such as Cyclone Alfred.
If this article has raised problems for you or you are worried about someone you know, call Lifeline to number 13 11 14.
Read more: Are you coming home after the flood? Prioritize your health and take step by step
