LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A lot of focus remains on cleaning up the physical damage as floodwaters have gone down over the past week.
“When it comes to disasters, our intention is to get out there and start cleaning up,” said Jacqueline Seals, an assistant professor at the UK College of Public Health.
While there is a lot of cleanup left, Seals said it’s also important to consider how flooding impacts mental health.
“We have seen an increase in suicide ideation and anxiety, in particular in these communities most affected,” Seals said.
The amount of stress and anxiety flood victims can experience may last for a couple of years after disaster strikes.
“They may be currently pulling up their bootstraps and getting to work,” Seals said of victims during the cleanup stage. “Once, once that kind of dies down and, you know, they're now just trying to pick up the pieces, that's when they really need you the most.”
After historic flooding like Kentucky just experienced, the waters eventually reside, cleanup eventually ends, and crews do get to go home. But, we often forget to check back in with the families who lost everything.
“Once we've cleaned up, we forget about the community that we built during the cleanup, and the people who just may have lost their homes, their communities, their jobs,” Seals said. “We go back to our own lives, and we don't always check in on them, and they're going to be feeling this impact for much longer than just the cleanup period.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis in the aftermath of he floods, call or text 988. You can also go to findhelpnow.org/ky for more resources.
