Preparing for extreme weather events and disasters

Preparing for extreme weather events and disasters

Information on how to prepare psychologically before an extreme weather event and how to cope emotionally during or after an extreme weather event.

• Psychological preparation for natural disasters  
• Psychological preparation for bushfires
• Preparing children for the threat of bushfire 
• Looking after children who are anxious about bushfires
• Psychological preparation for cyclones
• Preparing children for the threat of a cyclone
• Psychological preparation for floods
  
  

Preparedness articles

Bisson, J. (2003). Single session early interventions following traumatic events. Clinical Psychology Review, 23, 481-499.

Becker, J.S., Paton, D., Johnston, D.M. & Ronan, K.R. (2013) Salient beliefs about earthquake hazards and household preparedness. Risk Analysis, 33(9), 1710-1727.

Drabek, T.E. (1986). Human System Responses to Disaster: An inventory of sociological findings. New York: Springer-Verlag.

McNeill, I.M., Dunlop, P.D., Heath, J.B., Skinner, T.C., & Morrison, D.L. (2013) Expecting the unexpected: Predicting physiological and psychological wildfire preparedness from perceived risk, responsibility, and obstacles. Risk Analysis, 33 (10), 1829-1843.

Norris, F.N., Stevens, S.P., Pfefferbaum, B., Wyche, K.F., & Pfefferbaum, R.L. (2008). Community resilience as a metaphor, theory, set of capacities, and strategy for disaster readiness. American Journal of Community Psychology, 41(1-2), 127-150.

Osofsky, J.D. (2008). In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina: A personal story of a psychologist from New Orleans. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 39, 12-17.

Paton, D., Smith, L., & Johnston, D. (2005) When good intentions turn bad: Promoting natural hazard preparedness. Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 20, 25-30.

Paton, D., Burgelt, P. & Prior, T. (2008). Living with bushfire risk: Social and environmental influences on preparedness. Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 23, 41-48.

Prinstein, M.J., La Greca, A.M., Vernberg, E.M. & Silverman, W.K. (1996). Children’s coping assistance: How parents, teachers, and friends help children cope after a natural disaster. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 25, 463-475.

Reser, J & Morrissey, S. (2009) The crucial role of psychological preparedness for disasters Inpsych April 2009 https://www.psychology.org.au/inpsych/psychological_preparedness/

Reser, J.P. (2011) Adapting to and coping with the threat and impacts of climate change. American Psychologist, 66(4) 277-289.

Siegrist, M. & Gutscher, H. (2008) Natural hazards and motivation for mitigation behaviour: People cannot predict the affect evoked by a severe flood. Risk Analysis, 28(3), 771-778.