PLANNING for the emotional aftermath of devastating floods is as important as dealing with the immediate impact, say researchers.

Dr Rebecca Whittle, Lecturer at Lancaster University’s Lancaster Environment Centre, said: “It’s actually about what comes after – it’s about that long and very protracted recovery period.

“It’s about that secondary trauma of having to deal with insurers and builders - trying to recover some semblance of normal family life.”

A new short film released this week, entitled ‘Life after Flooding’, and funded by the Economic And Social Research Council (ESRC), shows how academics worked with 50 Hull residents for two years following the floods of 2007.

During the deluge the city received a sixth of its annual rainfall in just 12 hours. More than 10,500 homes were evacuated and many were unable to return to them for over two years.