Australian Red Cross is encouraging people affected by major flooding to look after their wellbeing as the emergency continues across Victoria, New South Wales and Tasmania.
"The flood emergency will be highly stressful for people as they prepare for flooding to come, or have been forced to evacuate from their homes, or will be returning to flooded areas," said John Richardson, National Resilience Advisor with Australian Red Cross.
"We know the mental health impacts of disasters are at least as costly as the infrastructure damage."
People preparing for an emergency
"For communities preparing for the flood threat to come, we urge people to take both practical and psychological steps to prepare.
"The practical steps will include flood preparations as advised by the SES, as well as being prepared for isolation. People must prepare for their home being inundated, and they should think about the items they want to protect - things that are not easily replaced.
"People should prepare their mind, to reduce the stress of the emergency so they make better decisions, and will have less challenges after the flood passes," he said.
