olorado’s 2013 flood
TRANSCRIPT
Introduction: Colorado’s 2013 FloodBrian Varrella, P.E., CFM, Chair CASFM
Research Results: 2013 Flood Induced Stress On Members Of Colorado Association of Stormwater and Floodplain Managers (CASFM)
Penn Gildersleeve, P.E., Principal Emeritus
ASFPM 2015 Atlanta
Session C3 Lessons From A Catastrophic Flood
Colorado’s 2013 Flood:
Disaster Impact On The Psyche Of An ASFPM State Chapter
Brian Varrella, P.E., CFM
Chair, CASFMColorado Assoc. of
Stormwater and Floodplain Managers
@CasfmOrg
Introduction: Colorado Sept. 2013 Disaster
Photo: Brian Varrella, CASFM, 2013
The 2013 Flood Was…
A Widespread
Disaster
• > 2,000 sq. miles affected
• 24 Counties affected– CDHSEM, Dec. 2013
Map courtesy of FEMA and ESRI (2013)
Colorado Sept. 2013 Disaster
The 2013 Flood Was…
A Diverse
Disaster
• >50% of damage was outside the SFHA
• Channels Moved
• Slopes Eroded
Colorado Sept. 2013 Disaster
Actual Zone of Erosion
MappedSFHA
Photo: Terry Martin, ICON Engineering, 2013
Big T. and N. Fork Big T.
from the Denver Post
(Andy Cross 2013)
http://goo.gl/2iLyDI
Diverse Disaster; Channel Migration
Colorado Sept. 2013 Disaster
Photos: Brian Varrella, CASFM, 2014
35 ft abovethe BFE
35 ft abovethe BFE
Diverse Disaster; Eroding Slopes
Colorado Sept. 2013 Disaster
Diverse Disaster: Freeboard??
Photos: Brian Varrella, CASFM, 2014
Colorado Sept. 2013 Disaster
The 2013 Flood Was…
A Human
Disaster
• 10 fatalities
• $3+ billion in damage– Gov. Hickenlooper’s Office (2014)
• 20,000 homes damaged or destroyed
– The Denver Post (2014)Photo: Brian Varrella,
CASFM, 2013
Colorado Sept. 2013 Disaster
ASFPM 2015 Atlanta
Session C3 Lessons From A Catastrophic Flood
Colorado’s 2013 Flood:
DisasterImpact On The Psyche Of An ASFPM State Chapter
STRESSS
Disclaimer• Based Upon Review Of
Hundreds Of Articles On Disasters And Stress
• Results Of Confidential Survey And Interviews With CASFM Members
• Assistance From A Number Of Experts In Disasters, Disaster Recovery, And Cognitive Neural Science
Dammit Jim! I’m an Engineer not a Doctor!
Particularly Useful References
• 60,000 Disaster Victims Speak: An Empirical Review of the Empirical Literature , Parts 1 & 2
Norris, Friedman, Watson, et al, National Center for PTSD, VA Medical Center, Vt. Psychiatry 65(3) Fall, 2002
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Following Disasters: A Systematic Review
Nieria, Bandi & Galea, Columbia University Medial CenterPsychological Medicine 2008, 38,467-470
160 Disasters of all Kinds
284 Peer Reviewed Journals – Multiple Types of Disaster: 90 Human Caused; 65 Tech; 116 Natural
Stress Literature Research SummaryDisaster Caused Stress Propensity Increases:
– Depends On Type and Duration Of Disaster
– Higher For 35 to 55 Years Old
– Higher For Married With Kids Living At Home
– Higher If Exposed To Direct Risk (Current or Past)
– Higher If Limited Prior Disaster Mitigation Experience
– Higher With Non-Disaster Related Stressors
– Higher If Female
“Over 94% of studies that compared genders found that women were disproportionally more predisposed to post disaster stress than men.” (Source: 60,000 Disaster Vol. 1 page 229)
CASFM QuestionnaireData Base
• 41 Questions
• 764 Members
• 47.5% Public Sector
• 24.6% Female
Responders
• 273 Responses (35.7%)
• 51.1% Public Sector
• 27.4% Female
Filter- Control Groups• 21.6% of Respondents (59)
Had No 2013 Flood Role• Male / Female• Public / Private
84.4% are Engineers75.8% are PE’s; 57.1% are CFM’s; 1 PE & Certified Paleontologist60.3% live in Denver Metro Area73.8% have Bachelor Degree; 30.4% have Masters; 1.52% PhD; 3.8% still working on degree
Our Survey Said
Marital Status
Single 17.1%
Married 82.1%
Separated 0.8%
100%
Q 3: What is your marital status?Q 4: Do you have children?
Children No 27.4% 1 14.5% More 39.9%Not Home 18.2%
100%
54.4%
Disaster Psyche Research Hampered By:
• Disasters: Unpredictable And Uncontrollable
• Ethical Constraints On Type And Timing Of Data Collection
• Difficult To Compare Findings Of One Study With Another
• I Found No Applicable Past Study On Similar Organization
The Difficulty With Stress
• Lack Of Concise Definition
• Hard To Diagnose – Constellation Of Symptoms
• Individual Effects Vary
• Some Stress May Be Good For You
• Too Much Stress Is Bad– But The Amount Is Different For Everyone
– Cumulative Impacts Are Inconsistent
– Treatment Highly Variable
Perception Is Important“I have experienced many disasters in my life time, some of which actually occurred.”
Mark Twain
Emotional Highs
Emotional Lows
Time
Truly Boring Person
Schematic Plot Emotions Over Time
Emotional Highs
Emotional Lows
Time
“Average” Person
Schematic Plot Emotions Over Time
Emotional Highs
Emotional Lows
Time
“Distressed” Person
Schematic Plot Emotions Over Time
Emotional Highs
Emotional Lows
Time
Schematic Plot Emotions Over Time
Pre-Disaster
Impact
Heroic
Honeymoon
Disillusionment
Reconstruction
Up to one year
Trigger Events
Anniversary Reactions
InventoryWorking Through Grief
Stress Research Summary• Type And Duration Of Disaster Is Important
#1 Man Made (9/11; Boston Marathon)
#2 Technological (3 Mile Island; Chernobyl)
#3 Natural (Floods; Earthquakes; Tsunamis)
Teton Dam Failure
Were the 2013 Floods A Natural Disaster?
Q 29: Rank the following from 1 to 7 in the order of culpability for the 2013 flood damage:
Gilbert White – Father of Floodplain Management
“Floods Are An Act Of Nature, But Flood Losses Are Largely Acts Of Man.”
Was It A Natural Disaster?Q 28: Do you believe that the level of damage from the 2013 flood disaster could have been decreased if better floodplain management decisions had been made in previous years?
• No 15.2%
• Yes 84.8%– Minor Damage Prevented 44.7%
– Significant Damage Prevented 30.8%
– Most Damage Prevented 9.3%
84.8%
Emotional Highs
Emotional Lows
Time
2013 FloodNatural Disaster
Stress ComparisonBy Disaster Type
Man-Made Disaster
Technological Disaster
Floodplain Manager’s Perception:I Could Have Done Better!
Prior Disaster Exposure:Colorado Benchmark Events
Our Survey Said:
Average Age = 43.8 Years62.3% Between 35 To 55 Years Old68.3% Born After 1965 Flood49.8% Born After 1973 Flood37.4% Born After 197624.7% High School Or Younger Prior To 1997 Flood
Q 7: What Year Were You Born?
Baby BoomersGen X’s
Millennial’s
Average Age = 43.8 Years62.3% Between 35 To 55 Years Old68.3% Born After 1965 Flood49.8% Born After 1973 Flood37.4% Born After 1976 Big T #1 and Teton Dam Break24.7% High School Or Younger Prior To 1997 Fort Collins / Sterling
Prior Disaster Exposure:
As Job As Volunteer
None 27.3% 66.5%
One 33.8% 18.8%
Two 19.5% 8.1%
Three 8.2% 2.0%
Four 1.7% 1.5%
Five 1.7% 0%
More than 5 7.8% 3.1%
Q 22: With How Many Natural Disasters Have you Been Associated?
61.1% 85.3%
Prior Experience:
Average Experience = 13.6 Years16.8% 1 to 5 Years27.1% 6 to 10 Years22.5% 11 to 15 Years17.2% 16 to 20 Years
4.6% This Is Their First Year16.4% Greater than 20-years
Q 16: How Many Years Experience Related To Stormwater & Floodplains ?
Floodplain Managers Assume Many Roles During and After A Disaster
• Survivor• Caregiver• Leader• Comforter• Information Source• Safety Officer• Communication Officer
– Media– Displaced Citizens
• Recovery Leader
Accidental Therapist
Our Survey Said:
Q 9: Your Role As 2013 Flood Survivor
19.8%
Personal Disaster Exposure:
You Family
Yes 13.3% (33) 20.1% (5)
No 86.7% (215) 71.8% (178)
Unknown 8.1% (20)
Q 30 and 31: Have you or any of your family been in personal danger as a result of a flood?
TOP CAUSES OF STRESSEXTERNAL ROOTS
• Money
• Work
• Physical Illness
• Personal Safety
• Family Tension
• Divorce
• Death in Family
• Moving
• Marriage
• Unemployment
• Major Life changes
INTERNAL ROOTS
• Inability To Accept Uncertainty
• Negativity
• Impractical perfectionism
• Low Self-Esteem
• Loneliness
• Inherited Issues
• Confusion Between Pain and Pleasure
Trauma From Disaster
Stress Symptoms...
... On your body ... On your mood ... On your behavior
•Headache•Muscle tension or pain•Chest pain•Fatigue•Change in sex drive•Stomach upset•Sleep problems
•Wild Swings•Feeling Nervous•Anxiety•Restlessness•Lack of focus•Irritability Or Anger•Sadness or depression
•Lost Motivation / Energy •Stalling or Ignoring Obligations•Change In Sleep Pattern•Over Or Under Eating•Angry outbursts•Drug or alcohol abuse•Excess Tobacco use•Social withdrawal•Anxious Habits
Common effects of stress
1
Non-Disaster Related Stressors
Question 14: Have You Changed Employers in the Past Year
• 9.8% Yes
• 4.2% Hope To
• 85.9% No
Our Survey Said:
Q 11: Rate Your Stress Symptoms All Respondents
Averages: 53.3% 28.6% 9.5% 5.6% 2.0%
No Sometimes Often Occasionally Most46.7% Reported
Stress Symptoms
Our Survey Said:
All WomenRespondents All Filtered*
Yes, Prior To Flood 6.4% 8.3% 10.0%
Yes Within Past Year 1.1% 1.4% 2.0%
Yes, Prior & After 3.0% 4.17 6.0%
No 89.4% 86.1% 82.0%
*Excludes those with no 2013 flood role
Q 10: Have You Ever Been Treated For Stress Or Stress Related Symptoms?
Floodplain Manager Job Satisfaction
• RISK: Millions Of Dollars Of Damage And The Death Of Innocent People, Public Humiliation
• REWARD: A Certificate Of Appreciation In A Handsome Plastic Frame.
Our Survey Said
Q 26: Do You Feel Good About What You Do As Applies To Your Work / Job
All Women FilterYes, It Really Fulfills Me 35.8% 35.5% 26.0%
Mostly, Sometimes I Get Bored 55.0% 58.1% 64.6%
Sort Of, But I Don’t Always Love It 5.8% 1.6% 5.2%
Not Really Some Days I Dread It 3.4% 4.8% 4.2%
100% 100% 100%
Filter = Removes Respondents That Did Not Have Flood Involvement and FocusOn Respondents Between The Age Of 35 To 55 Years Old
Our Survey Said
Q 23: How Balanced Is Your Lifestyle?
0.4%
Our Survey Said
Q 25: Did Your Organization Have The Right Number Of Personnel?
51% Said They Needed More PeopleExcludes Those That Said They were Not In A Position To Judge
Our Survey Said
Q 24: % Of Time Devoted To 2013 Flood Work
All Women Filter*No Flood Work 14.2% 16.9% 0%Less Than 5% 32.2% 33.8% 25.0% 6% To 25% 24.3% 24.6% 32.0%26% To 50% 9.7% 6.1% 11.0%51% To 75% 8.1% 7.7% 13.0%76% to 90% 7.7% 7.7% 15.0%Full Time 2.8% 3.1% 3.0%
100% 100% 100%
*Filter = Removes Respondents That Did Not Have Flood Involvement and FocusOn Respondents Between The Age Of 35 To 55 Years Old
70.7%
Our Survey SaidQ 35: During The Year After The Flood What Was Your Average Work Week?
Ave Total Hrs/Week 11930 11170 10885 10715 10535 9960
% W
ork
ing
Mo
re T
han
40
-Ho
urs
/wee
k
Our Survey Said
Q 36: During the past Year Were You Paid For All The Hours That You Worked?
Our Survey Said
Q 37: Since September, 2013, how many days of vacation have you taken?
Summary
Type and Duration Of Disaster
35 to 55 Years Old
Married With Kids Living At Home
Exposure To Flood Risk
Impact Of Non-Disaster Related Stressors
Limited Prior Disaster Exposure
Still Ongoing
62%
73%
33%
?? 14% Job Turnover
61% First Disaster
CASFM Members Treated For Stress: 11% of All Respondents 18% of Women 46.7% Reported Stress SymptomsResearch: Indicates 10% to 20% Of People Who Work in DisastersHave Prevalence For Stress Symptoms
Parameter CASFM Result
Be Aware Of Disaster Impact On
Yourself• Providers Are Not Immune And Should Attend
To Their Own Needs As Well As Others
• High Stress Demand Creates Risk For Fatigue Burn-out, And Reduced Effectiveness
• If It Can Impact You It Also Impacts Your Professional Colleagues
• Look Out For One Another.
Our Survey Said
Q 13: Have You Noticed Increased Stress Levels In Your Co-Workers Since The 2013 Flood?
*Filter = Only those that checked having involvement in the flood.
My Friends walked on, and I stood
there trembling
with anxiety –and I sensed
an infinite scream passing through nature