Flooding takes a toll on mental health. How Quebecers can help each other cope
Lou Borrelli is still working on clearing out his soaked basement, picking through the destroyed remains of once meaningful belongings.
"It's been pretty lousy, you know … all these sentimental things are garbage now," he said.
Borrelli's home in Dollard-des-Ormeaux, Que., in which he's lived since the 80s, was among those impacted by severe flooding after last week's record-breaking downpour — remnants of tropical storm Debby.
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Like many of his neighbours on Roosevelt Street, Borrelli's basement flooded with more than two feet of water, destroying photos and books he can never replace — but will never forget.
"I was looking at the stuff and I said, 'Ok, they're in here now,'" said the 72-year-old, tapping the side of his head.
Lou Borrelli, 72, says he'll never forget the support he received from his neighbours after flooding destroyed many of his sentimental belongings. (CBC)
Something making the situation a little easier, he says, is the help he's been receiving from friends, family and his local community.
"My neighbour … he was here in the crawl space yesterday helping out on his knees," Borrelli said.
"They've been very helpful, all the neighbours."
Damaged items from flooded homes are left on the curb in the Lanaudière region, which was hit hard by the remnants of tropical storm Debby last week. (Ivanoh Demers/Radio-Canada)
According to the latest update from Quebec's Public Security Ministry, 86 municipalities were affected by the intense storm, which also led to widespread road damage and landslides across southern Quebec.
On Wednesday in Ste-Julienne, Que., Public Security Minister François Bonnardel said in all 2,300 residences were flooded and about 460 residents evacuated from their homes. He said 53 roads are still damaged and 348 homes are still inaccessible.
"I know it has been very difficult for those people who have lost a lot during the weekend," Bonnardel told reporters after a meeting with area mayors.
He said that if all goes well Highway 13 in Dorval, Que., could be reopened tomorrow.
'Very serious disruption' to well-being
Borrelli has kept a positive attitude throughout this experience, but experts say that's difficult to do.
"The destruction of someone's home is a very, very serious disruption to someone's health and well-being," said Joe Flanders, a psychologist and assistant professor in psychology at McGill University.
Flanders says after a natural disaster, it's common to feel anxious, disoriented, dissociated and discouraged.
In an interview, Mathieu Maisonneuve, mayor of Saint-Lin-Laurentides, about 65 kilometres north of Montreal, said some of his residents are unwilling to leave their homes, despite them being structurally damaged or flooded.
"It's not easy to go out of your home… it's a [gut punch] when you cannot sleep in the bed that you were sleeping in the night before, when you see all your personal belongings go to waste," he said.
Maisonneuve said mental health support is being offered to residents by the local health authority.
New research out this summer took a closer look at the impact of natural disasters, in particular wildfires, on mental health.
The Lancet Planetary Journal suggests up to 60 per cent of adults might experience post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) up to six months following a wildfire. At least one-quarter might also experience a major depressive or anxiety disorder, the study found.
Recovering by connecting with others
Flanders says residents who have been repeatedly devastated by natural disasters have it even worse.
"It creates this kind of sense of impending doom that disaster can strike almost at any minute, and that sense of uncertainty and that chronic threat is really a perfect storm, no pun intended, for our nervous systems," he said.
Flanders says the way people cope with these situations in the following hours and days can have a big impact on the toll it takes on our mental health in the long run.
He says coming together in community, leaning on loved ones and supporting each other is "massively important."
"We recover by connecting with people, we recover by finding safety, we recover by working together, being in it together and slowly rebuilding order in the chaos together," he said.
Flanders says people staying connected offers a kind of protective factor against intense and difficult experiences that may lead to trauma and PTSD.
"[People] need to be heard, they need to be seen … and feel that other people are present," he said.
'Making me a better person'
Ali Louati, Borrelli's next-door neighbour who helped clear out his crawl space, also had his basement flooded, but he was travelling in Europe when it happened.
He says he was lucky enough to have his sister — and Borrelli — tend to his home in his absence.
"Thank God they were here," he said.
He says friends and family have been giving him a hand over the past few days, and he wanted to extend that same support to others.
"In this situation, neighbours need to be helping each other," he said.
Borrelli says both receiving and offering that support is yet another cherished memory he'll be storing in his mind.
"I'm counting this as an experience in life and I'm finding that I'm a little bit more empathetic now to anybody who's going through any of this turmoil," he said.
"It's making me a better person."
This article, written by Sabrina Jonas, was originally published for CBC News. Contains files from Holly Cabrera and Mélissa François.
