No Major Impacts on Mental Health and Well-Being Reported

The impact on us was relatively small and we were financially able to repair the damage.

Not Applicable

No, I didn’t really have to deal with the daily issues. My mother and her husband have been affected. They worry about selling the house, they worry about the next flood. They are disheartened that the government does not understand their situation.

Responses Clearly Indicated Impacts on Mental Health and Well-being

Yes. We live on an island, our road was barricaded, instead of leaving we were stuck for 15 days. My property was the departure/arrival space for boaters. There was so much going on, no privacy and worrying if anything happened to any member of my family how we would get to the mainland for help.

The flood was very stressful and a lot of hard work. We didn’t have money to fix anything and we are still suffering. Our house got flooded in the basement and we only got enough money to gut it and get half of the walls fixed. Also, we haven’t even touched the camp yet (we have a camp on our property). 6000 won’t even cover the cost to clean out what is in there. We also have 3 kids that live with us about half of the time. Our house was a mess for a while, we had to bring everything upstairs. That’s only half of it. We sand bagged to prevent the water from hitting our house but the water went through the ground.

Yes- makes me feel very unsafe and uncertain in my own home every year. Very uncertain if I want to take major construction to raise the house but I believe it will happen again. Frustrating because my husband and I don’t see things the same way- has caused some short tempers.

Yes, traumatic, depression.

Yes, anxiety about impact of flood. Stress + the isolation of being partly cut off.

Yes- did not sleep for 9 days, took from May 2-July to finish damage, dealing with government payment plan.

Yes, major stress throughout. Financial burden in having to finance repairs/rebuild; disruption to work life; disruption to kids’ lives.

Yes- It took a huge amount of physical labour to repair our property. The high wind day caused a huge amount of fear + anxiety. The anxiety stayed with me for many months after. My home, which should be my place of safety, no longer feels safe.

Yes. Mental health- not knowing the extent of damages was extremely stressful. It was a disaster in slow motion. Wellbeing- We were without water + electricity for one month. Every day was challenging, but the kindness and support we received was overwhelming... bitter sweet experience.

I was severely affected by the 2018 flood because it was the second time since the 08 flood. The effects are constantly on my mind especially around early March and April. I can only liken it to PTSD.

It was stressful watching our friends/neighbours cottages being torn apart behind our house and not being able to help and then to see the terrible mess in the fields after. I went to help clean up and could only stay for an hour as it was overwhelming. Some of our friends’ cottages were over 80 years old and had built them and they were deeply affected- have [moved] into trailers.

Yes, it did. My daughter-in-law + son who live on the river’s edge were for many days on the verge of having to vacate their home. With no heat or electricity, I was worried for their health + wellbeing. My brother-in-law and sister-in-law who live 30 miles down the river from our village were flooded out + were not able to stay in their home. As they are in their late 70s it caused great anguish for my husband and I for their health + wellbeing. My brother-in-law’s health has been heavily affected by the flood and its resulting turmoil.

Yes, it has been stressful to cope with, to organize the repairs, and apply for compensation.

It most certainly did. I have never experienced so much stress. The flood has had a detrimental impact on my health, finances, and relationship. Both my partner and I have suffered from depression and have endured many conflicts whilst attempting to recover from this disaster. I have lost over 40lbs since the flood and am still dealing with the stresses of being displaced and trying to manage finances.

It did. I donated my time to helping the residence of Darlings Island coming on and off the island. Seeing the people trying to get to work, school, grocery store, etc. became an impossibility. I felt I had to do my part to help. It was a good, surreal, feeling being able to help those who needed it in their time off especially where other agencies that had the resources to help did not.

I hesitate to say “impact” on my mental health although the extremely long waits at the Gondola Pt Ferry were frustrating as I felt guilty because I couldn’t help others. I had to leave my home at 5:15 each morning and often didn’t arrive home until 7:30 or 8pm. I have a parent in their own home with dementia and I visit 2-3 times per week so my wait times at the ferry were even longer. I knew of many who could have used my help however I was not able. I felt very badly for that. It was heartbreaking to know others could have been helped by able-bodied folks like me.

Yes- it was a short period of time that you were aware you could lose everything/ if you didn’t act fast. You had to “save yourself” as well as help your neighbour- it was intense. I could go on but I feel that sums it up. The feelings of being torn to help + help yourself. The witnessing of community coming together- it was a learning curve in such a vast range of aspects of people/land/water +how you overcome/surrender to mother nature. I feel it was an incredible experience to have lived through it.