Cumbria is being asked to take part in a national study on the long term impact of flooding on health and wellbeing.
The county is still rebuilding more than five months on from the devastation caused during the winter storms.
Public Health England has randomly selected 2,500 households across Cumbria to fill out a survey.
They want to hear from those still recovering; those whose lives were disrupted; and from those who were unaffected.
The results will be looked at by King's College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Dr Isabel Oliver, Director of Field Epidemiology Service at Public Health England and co-ordinator of the study said: “This is the first ever long-term study into the impact of flooding on health and wellbeing. This study will help PHE understand the long term health impacts of flooding. It will be used to help tailor and improve future flood planning and response, both in Cumbria and throughout the rest of England. We very much hope that people will return the questionnaire and join this important study.”
Dr James Rubin, Senior Lecturer at King’s College London said: “We know that being flooded can sometimes have a serious effect on someone’s wellbeing. But there are still so many uncertainties about what the impacts of flooding are. People in Cumbria can help us understand these issues, so we can find ways to better protect and help people in the future.”
Colin Cox, Director of Public Health in Cumbria, said: “Residents in Cumbia know only too well how devastating floods can be. Cumbria County Council welcomes this study as a way to produce something positive after such a horrendous winter. Input from Cumbrians could be crucial, regardless of how they feel they were impacted. Please take 20 minutes to complete and return the questionnaire to Public Health England.”