Younger and Older Adults' Perceptions of Stressors After a Flood

In August 2016, widespread flooding occurred across south Louisiana a decade after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated the U.S. Gulf Coast. In this study, we examined self-reported flood stressors among adults who varied in current and prior severe weather experiences (M-age = 50.2 years, age range 19-89 years). All responded to an open-ended question that assessed the most stressful aspect of the 2016 flood. Narrative responses from three flood exposure groups were compared: (a) nonflooded controls; (b) single disaster adults with 2016 flood damage to homes and property, and (c) double disaster adults who permanently relocated inland because of catastrophic losses in the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and flooded in 2016. To permit inferences about age-related differences in self-perceived flood stressors, age was split at the median within each flood exposure group. Content analyses of the narrative responses yielded three core themes: (a) Immediate impact and flood-related destruction; (b) Friends, neighbors, and family lend a helping hand; and (c) Lingering consequences of flood-related damage. Flood stressors were similar for the younger and older cohorts across the first two themes. Age-related differences in responses were more salient and frequent in the third theme. The older cohorts described more financial worries over mounting debt due to costly repairs of flooded homes than did the younger cohort. For older adults with prior catastrophic losses, both the financial and material impacts of the 2016 flood were significant stressors. Implications of these data for understanding age-related vulnerabilities after severe weather events are discussed.