Seeking help for disaster services after a flood.

Objectives: This article describes how the frequency of exposure to a flood is associated with the probability of seeking help from agencies (eg, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Red Cross) that provide disaster-related services. The article also describes the population characteristics for the people who are most likely to seek help for disaster services.

Methods: Prospective cohort data from 1735 respondents of the Iowa Health Poll were used. Multivariate logistic regression was used to model the odds of seeking help from any agency for flood-related problems.

Results: Overall, most people, regardless of flood exposure, did not seek help from disaster service agencies. Disaster services were sought by 23% of respondents who experienced 1 flood, 31% who have experienced 2 floods, and 26% who have experienced 3 or more floods. Multivariate adjusted odds of seeking help were associated with number of flood experiences (odds ratio [OR] 1.58), white race (OR 0.24), economic hardship (OR 1.43), urban residence (OR 0.43), and social support (OR 0.55).

Conclusions: On average, the probability of seeking disaster relief services increases with the number of flood experiences. Racial/ethnic minorities, rural residents, economically challenged individuals, and people with low levels of perceived social support may be more likely than people without these characteristics to seek services.