Disaster scars mount, even after the clean-up

Disasters like Cyclone Alfred aren’t over when the debris is cleared, but there are some things you can do to help cope with the mental health toll.

The waters have receded and residents are clearing the debris after Cyclone Alfred, so it’s tempting to think that communities are recovering from the latest in a string of climate disasters to hit great swathes of northern New South Wales and southeast Queensland.

Yet after the political visitors head home and television cameras turn to the next story, it’s doubtful this disaster is really ‘over’.

In the Northern Rivers region of NSW, communities and businesses are cleaning up and reassembling.

The sandbags are gone, most shops are restocked and almost all schools have reopened. Community groups are winding down some immediate emergency response efforts, while councils are in full swing clearing fallen trees, repairing roads and restoring services.

This region was spared the flooding that communities further north experienced.

While the Northern Rivers was also spared the devastation of the record-breaking floods of 2017 and 2022, Cyclone Alfred still caused a huge amount of disruption, and disruption has mental health impacts for residents. Those impacts will linger for many months.

The University Centre for Rural Health — part of The University of Sydney — has researched how climate disasters, particularly floods, affect health and communities.

Six months after the 2017 floods, the centre surveyed about 2,500 people in the Northern Rivers. There was a follow-up with participants in 2019.

The research found the floods affected people’s mental health and wellbeing in challenging ways.

And two years after the disaster, there was little change in people’s mental health and wellbeing outcomes, likely due to the impact of secondary stressors like insurance disputes, persistent damage in their home or business, mould, relationship problems or illness.

Since the 2022 floods, which were the largest on record and more destructive, the centre led or was part of research projects that built on this earlier work, focusing on community-led response to disasters and the links between community groups and disaster management agencies.

This research indicates the disaster is not over.

Here’s what is likely to happen next:

• People across the region will continue to experience adverse impacts on their emotional wellbeing and mental health for some time. The more exposed they were to the cyclone’s impact, the greater and longer the impact.
• That impact is likely to be greater for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, those who are socio-economically disadvantaged, identify as LGBTQ+ and those with a disability.
• It will be magnified yet again for those who also experienced previous disasters.

Although commonly used in the media, the term ‘recovery’ may be less meaningful for those experiencing repeated disasters, where there is no time to recover from one event before the next hits.

Research suggests that repeated exposure has greater mental health effects than a single exposure.

Looking after each other

There is no one-size-fits-all solution to looking after ourselves and each other after a disaster, but some things can help:

• Acknowledge that a significant event has occurred and permit yourself and others to feel the emotions that may arise.
• Find appropriate and safe ways to name and express these emotions. Seek support from friends, family or professional services if needed.
• Be aware that rainy or windy weather may trigger emotions and that physical movement can help shift anxiety.
• Be aware that a reduced ability to make decisions is common, especially after repeated severe weather events.
• Rest and get enough sleep because physical and emotional preparation uses energy. Give bodies extra care with nourishing meals and hydration.
• Spend some quiet time outside.
• Care for other people by checking in on them and paying attention to what they say and how they behave.
• Help others and take action together as a community, building active hope which is different from just being hopeful. It is taking steps in the direction we would like things to move.

The impact on our relationship with nature

While seldom talked about in media coverage of the event, disasters like Cyclone Alfred can also impact our relationship with the natural world around us.

Witnessing the destabilisation of creek beds, riverbanks, shorelines and the uprooting of trees during a severe weather event can spark emotions such as grief and anxiety.

Often seen as negative, these emotions reflect the reality of our reliance on and connection to nature and can even lead to positive and protective behaviours.

Events like cyclones also mean the inevitable loss of life or injury to wildlife, the destruction of habitat and displacement and suffering of native animals.

During a disaster, the prioritisation of protection conventionally starts with human life, then infrastructure, with biodiversity a lower priority.

Ecological grief is an understandable response to such ecological losses and it can surface after a severe weather event.

Grief can also emerge when people who live close to the natural world, such as on a river system, experience the loss of local knowledge.

Even the disruption of seasonal weather patterns and rhythms caused by climate change can affect people.

Where to now

The Northern Rivers community is among those developing sophisticated disaster-preparation systems, even while the toll of repeated extreme weather events grows.

Yet in many ways, the community is still in uncharted waters. And the harm and loss that more-than-human communities are subjected to would also benefit from greater recognition.

Part of the answer is social support and strong connections within and between communities.

This disaster is not over for the many individuals, families and businesses impacted by Alfred.

Catherine Falco is a psychologist, family therapist and PhD candidate with The University of Sydney’s Ecological Emotions Research Lab and the University Centre for Rural Health, based in Lismore, New South Wales.

Dr Jo Longman is a senior research fellow at the University Centre for Rural Health, part of The University of Sydney, based in Lismore, New South Wales. Dr Longman’s research interests include the mental health impacts of climate change and floods, and the vital role communities play in supporting preparation and response to extreme weather-related events.

The UCRH research described in this piece was undertaken with funding from The University of Sydney, Western Sydney University, University of Wollongong, Northern NSW Local Health District and the NSW State Government.

Originally published under Creative Commons by 360info™.

Editors Note: In the story “Extreme weather” sent at: 24/03/2025 13:15.

This is a corrected repeat.