Living with disaster: exploring complex decisions to stay in or leave flood prone areas

• Published in: Housing studies Vol. 38; no. 5; pp. 747 - 769
• Main Authors: Woodhall-Melnik, Julia, Weissman, Eric P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Harlow Routledge 28.05.2023; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Decision analysis; Decisions; Destruction of property; Emotional factors; Emotional responses; Emotions; Flood damage; flooding; Floods; Home; Housing; housing loss; Natural disasters; Personal safety; place attachment; Policy making; Prone; Property damage; residential displacement; Residents; Rivers; Sustainability
• ISSN: 0267-3037; 1466-1810
• DOI: 10.1080/02673037.2021.1900794

As natural disasters increase in frequency and severity, policy makers question the safety and sustainability of housing in flood zones. Areas along the St. John River in New Brunswick are prone to spring floods. In the past 11 years, three significant floods have damaged and destroyed housing. The tradition of staying in place despite property damage is becoming harder to practice. This paper investigates housing decisions after the 2018 St. John River flood. Data are analyzed from focus groups with residents who experienced residential damage and/or displacement during the flood and from semi-structured interviews with key informants. The analysis indicates that residents' decisions to stay and move reflect attachment to home, integration within the community, practical considerations such as finances, and a range of emotional responses. These findings reinforce several theoretical perspectives on place and place attachment and indicate that policy makers need to consider the emotional and social implications of relocating communities and individuals in disaster prone areas.