Jennifer Moore was helping a neighbour on flood-prone Stannus Street, in Windsor, N.S., last week when she fell face first in waist-deep brown water in her driveway.

It was the third time in three years the catch basin on the street overflowed, after 1.2 metres of water adulterated with sewage poured into Moore香蕉视频直播檚 basement on the road that runs through the Annapolis Valley town.

香蕉视频直播淚t was terrifying,香蕉视频直播� she said Monday, as she prepared to rush out to get hepatitis and tetanus shots at a local clinic.

At times, she added, she isn香蕉视频直播檛 sure if symptoms like headaches, nausea and diarrhea are simply part of a stress response or a physical condition caused by exposure to the latest climate disaster in her town.

However, psychologists say the distress faced by Moore and her neighbours is part of a worrying growth in mental health issues and trauma linked to the increasing incidents of flooding and other climate disasters occurring across the country. These experiences have been documented in studies over the past decade.

Three years after an August 2014 downpour in Burlington, Ont. 香蕉视频直播� when 196 millimetres of rain fell in seven hours, flooding 3,500 homes 香蕉视频直播� the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo released a psychological impact survey. Researchers found that 48 per cent of about 500 disaster victims said that following every major storm after that 2014 flood, their stress level was a 4.5 on a scale of 5, representing 香蕉视频直播渕aximum mental stress.香蕉视频直播�

Moore, who bought her Nova Scotia property in 2009, said that since 2021 she香蕉视频直播檚 had to use her industrial-sized pump to flush out about 1.2 to 1.5 metres of sewage water from her basement on three occasions. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 very, very emotional香蕉视频直播� and 香蕉视频直播減anic inducing香蕉视频直播� each time a weather alert calls for thunderstorms in the valley, she said.

香蕉视频直播淲e have to start rearranging our day so that if (the street) does overflow, we can be home. We香蕉视频直播檝e cancelled vacations and trips because we can香蕉视频直播檛 leave our homes unattended.香蕉视频直播�

At times, she simply internalizes her distress, making checklists of things she can do to keep her home as safe as possible.

Often, she feels 香蕉视频直播渃ompletely numb,香蕉视频直播� she said.

Stefania Maggi, a psychology professor at Carleton University, said an extreme weather event 香蕉视频直播� such as a fire, flood and heat wave 香蕉视频直播� can leave lasting emotional consequences.

香蕉视频直播淥ften, there is this overwhelming feeling that climate change is so big and such a difficult challenge to overcome that we feel powerless,香蕉视频直播� she said in a recent interview.

Theodore Cosco, associate professor at Simon Fraser University香蕉视频直播檚 gerontology department, said repeated exposure to extreme weather events could affect people in the immediate, short and long terms.

A short-term impact because of property damage, loss of life or home could cause post-traumatic stress disorder, while in the long term there may be generalized anxiety around the next potential climate disaster, he said.

香蕉视频直播淭here香蕉视频直播檚 this uncertainty, unpredictability, uncontrollability that is in the future.香蕉视频直播�

Depending on the age of the person and other pre-existing conditions, Maggi said it is possible that the anxiety and stress caused by climate change and weather-related events could lead to sleep disturbances, nervousness, and mood and appetite changes.

香蕉视频直播淭hese are all common responses to a traumatic experience, she said. 香蕉视频直播淭ypically, these are short-term effects that tend to resolve after several days or a few weeks, but occasionally, they will last for longer periods of time such as several weeks or months.香蕉视频直播�

Amanda Dunfield, who is Moore香蕉视频直播檚 neighbour, said that in July 2023, after more than 250 millimetres of rain fell in the area, her family piled smaller pieces of furniture atop larger ones, tied up the drapes and evacuated. Last week, when more than 100 mm fell on Windsor, she once again was in response mode.

She has spent thousands of dollars upgrading her house since she bought it about three years ago, but the flooding continues. 香蕉视频直播淚 mean, it香蕉视频直播檚 a house. It香蕉视频直播檚 not a submarine,香蕉视频直播� she said.

For Dunfield, part of the distress is the sense that municipal and provincial political leaders aren香蕉视频直播檛 moving quickly enough to repair and upgrade infrastructure 香蕉视频直播� or provide reasonable offers to buy their homes. Meanwhile, moving isn香蕉视频直播檛 an option due to the low prices offered for homes in her area.

The municipality of West Hants has said it香蕉视频直播檚 studying how to separate the water systems in the area 香蕉视频直播� to create one pipe for sanitary sewage and another for storm water. However, Mayor Abraham Zebian said in an interview last week, the engineering solution is complex.

香蕉视频直播淲ith a system as large and old as the one which handles the storm water in the core of Windsor, it香蕉视频直播檚 not an overnight solution.香蕉视频直播�

Meanwhile, as officials try to find solutions, Dunfield said she and her neighbours struggle with a sense of loss 香蕉视频直播� and growing frustration.

香蕉视频直播淚 think grief certainly exists,香蕉视频直播� said Dunfield. 香蕉视频直播淪ometimes it香蕉视频直播檚 frank sorrow. I have had times when I just sit and sob for days when it香蕉视频直播檚 all over and the adrenalin leaves, and you香蕉视频直播檙e exhausted.香蕉视频直播�

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