Flood plain dwellers' perception of the flood hazard in Tucson, Arizona

Abstract

The study analyzes the perception of the flood hazard of 162 residents living within the 100 year floodplains of the Rillito, Santa Cruz, Pantano and Tanque Verde rivers in Tucson, Arizona. Results of the interviews indicate that the floodplain dwellers have no real appreciation of the flood danger and tend to minimize the extent of the damage that might result from a severe flood. Suggested user solutions were almost entirely technological involving channelization, dam construction, etc., and the residents feel that responsibility for handling the flood problem rests with government. The low personal assessment of the flood danger, the faith in technological solutions and the reliance on government has important implications for decision makers and resource managers who will need to devise strategies to make the residents more aware not only of the risks of living in the floodplain, but also of the wide range of non-technological alternatives that can offer some measure of protection.