Levees continue to fail in holding back waters from the Mississippi River as flooding continues throughout the Midwest. Natural disasters such as this can definitely be considered a traumatic event , and people who have been affected by these floods may be at risk for the development of PTSD. However, PTSD can be prevented. The American Psychological Association provides a number of important and helpful resources on how to cope and recover from a natural disaster such as flooding. Additional information can be found on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) website.

A very important factor in preventing the development of PTSD and recovery from a traumatic event is the availability of social support and healthy coping strategies. You can learn more about developing social support and healthy coping strategies through the following articles:

• Establishing Social Support
• Healthy Ways of Coping with the Effects of a Traumatic Experience

Finally, you can learn more about natural disasters and PTSD with the articles listed below:

• The Psychological Impact of the 2004 Tsunami
• The Psychological Effects of Hurricane Katrina