Flooding and schools: experiences in Hull in 2007

Abstract

In 2007 Hull was severely flooded with 8600 households and most of the schools affected. No studies of the impact of floods on teachers and schools in the UK appear to have been published before. The impact of the floods on Hull teachers was studied in two stages, firstly through correspondence with Hull City Council and mailed questionnaire to 91 Head teachers of primary, secondary and special schools. In the second stage, in-depth interviews were conducted with Head teachers from 6 flooded schools representing different degrees of flood experience, and 8 teachers from the same schools completed a questionnaire.The findings show the importance and the complexity of the role of the school in the wider community at times of crisis. Respondents reported severe impacts on Head teachers, teachers and students. The study raises issues over preparedness for floods, support for schools, impact on teachers and students, including educational attainment, and flood protection for schools.

Wildfire impacts on education and healthcare: Paradise, California, after the Camp Fire

“…Schools play an important role in disaster recovery, not only as access points to households (Robinson 2012 ), but also by providing access to basic amenities such as food and water, daycare services for working parents, and a sense of normalcy, routine, and belonging for children and families (Jimmerson et al 2005 ; Fothergill and Peek 2006 ; Convey et al 2015 ; Lai et al 2016 , 2018 ; Peek et al 2018 ). Schools also provide critical mental health support following a disaster to staff, parents, and kids, whose post-disaster trauma is often entangled with other recovery concerns, such as housing displacement and employment (Lai et al 2018 ; Cannon, Davis and Fuller 2020 ; Davis, Cannon and Fuller 2021 ).…”

Interdisciplinary Approaches to Examining Postdisaster School Recovery

“…Understanding school recovery in the context of disasters is a critical dilemma facing researchers and practitioners. School closures after disasters can have lasting impacts on children and their families (Convery, Carroll, & Balogh, 2010; Convery, Carroll, & Balogh, 2014; Fothergill & Peek, 2015; Lai, Esnard, Lowe, & Peek, 2016; Miech & Hauser, 2001) and impede the ability of households and communities to recover from disasters. Disasters also have mental health impacts on children and families, who may experience multiple internalizing symptoms after disasters, such as posttraumatic stress, anxiety, and depression (Lai, La Greca, Auslander, & Short, 2013; Lai, Tiwari, Beaulieu, Self‐Brown, & Kelley, 2015; Weems et al., 2010).…”

Vulnerabilidade escolar frente a desastres no Brasil

“…Mas esta situação também afeta países ricos; na inglaterra, por exemplo, várias escolas da cidade de Hull foram surpreendidas por uma chuva torrencial seguida de inundação brusca, em 2007. Neste caso já havia conhecimento do alto risco de inundação para essas escolas, mas a comunidade escolar, composta por alunos, professores e funcionários, não estava preparada para uma situação de desastre; isto devido principalmente à política institucional dos órgãos de proteção e defesa civil, que subestimava a exposição e a vulnerabilidade das escolas e desconsiderava o envolvimento da comunidade escolar em ações de prevenção (Convery et al, 2014). Por outro lado, boa parte de crianças e adolescentes (principalmente de setores carentes) são altamente sujeitos à vulnerabilidade social, como a derivada do tráfico de drogas, da guerra civil, da exclusão, do descaso pela educação ou da ausência de oportunidades.…”