Former cyclone Alfred is bringing significant rainfall to the northern rivers of Southeast Queensland and New South Wales. Flood Lasimore, Bolina, Grafton, Brisbane and Harvey Bay have been targeted, which has been received 150 mm rainfall In two hours this morning.
Regrettably, a The 61 -year -old man died After flood waters flowed near Durigo in northern New South Wales.
Is more faster rain and flash floods Expected In the approaching days, as soon because the seasonal system moves and weakens.
Climate change is making these events of the weather More severe and repeated. Earlier this yr, Away northern Queensland Tested the large flood. As a resident of the northern rivers, the newest catastrophe is especially severe because we suffered a devastating 2022 floods just three years ago.
We have studied its effects Flooded on human health And the welfare, and the floods found are linked to different effects of physical and mental health in each short and long -term.
So what are you able to experience in the event you live in these flood -affected area?
We reviewed the evidence
We Recently reviewed Research on the consequences of physical and mental health within the mainland Australia. We included 69 studies in our review, which was published for greater than 70 years. The majority of the past ten years, which examines the consequences of floods in Queensland and NSW.
Scott Redford-Chassolum/AP
These studies show that individuals can expect different health effects. Included the quick physical health effects of the flood ImmersionFalls and injuries.
Chronic diseases Such as diabetes or kidney disease will also be worsened because of aspects reminiscent of transportation, health care services, reduction of medicines and hospitals.
Exhibition of contaminated flood waters may cause skin infection, while flooding may cause respiratory problems because of mold and moist houses.
Floods also creates ideal conditions for mosquito infections reminiscent of Ross stream virus And Murray Valley InclassesWhile also spreading infectious diseases LipatospereosisBacterial infection from contaminated soil.
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There are also mental health consequences
Our review also shown floods Affects mental health. As much as you face flood waters in your own home or business, the consequences of mental health are only as bad.
After the flood The study reviewed the outcomes of mental health and fitness six months after the 2017 flood within the northern rivers. It found individuals who had flood water of their home, courtyard or business, or who had been displaced from their home for greater than six months, were they. Is too much more likely Post -traumatic stress disorder, anxiety or sadness, than those that didn’t experience floods or weren’t homeless.
Murray McCloski/AP
Repeated natural disasters can increase the outcomes of those mental health. North rivers in Southeast Queensland and NSW have experienced quite a few disasters lately. North rivers suffered major floods in 2017, bishophires in 2020, more floods in 2022, and now in 2025, Hurricane Alfred. These repeated disasters have called on our community, which created a seemingly non -recovery cycle, rebuilding and preparing for the subsequent destruction.
The unique challenges facing communities, our understanding of many disasters are still growing. However, A recent Australian study Exposure to repeated disasters has a posh impact on people's mental health, which ends up in the worst consequences of mental health than people facing the identical destruction.
Mother and baby
The effects of flood health exceed the initial emergency and greater than infection and mental health results you possibly can expect.
Queensland flood study Tracking pregnant women suffered a 2011 Brisbane flood. Researchers assessed the strain of moms related to the flood and traced them and their children at six weeks, six months, 16 months, 2.5 years, 4 and 6 years. There have been some links between pre -birth stress and development results In children.
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Although the consequences of health after the flood are diverse, the research to this point just isn’t comprehensive. We must know more about how floods help or increase current chronic diseases, disability and long -term mental health problems.
The effects are incompetent
Flood exposes and spoils the present inequality. Socially weaker groups usually tend to flood of their homes, and have less access to resources to reply and get better from these events, after which some groups are at greater risk of negative health effects.
Some research has considered an inappropriate effects Disabled people and their careFor, for, for,. The parties of the first nations And from people Backward background.
After the floods of the northern rivers of 2017, for instance, individuals with disabilities and their careers were more likely than others.
- Experience disrupts access to health care and social services reminiscent of food, auxiliary networks and accessories
- Keep hurt after six months of flood
- Six months after the flood, traumatic stress disorder is comparatively high risk.
However, flood research is restricted to the experiences of those weak groups in Australia.
Going forward, it is rather essential that we examine the assorted effects of floods for more weak groups, so we will higher help them within the context of destructive events like Hurricane Alfred.