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Abstract: The study approaches the problematic of psychosocial effects of the floods, a topic with few researches in Romania, in three different areas in the country seriously affected by the floods occured in the past years. The research design includes the investigation of the inhabitants (the interview through focus groups) and local authorities (the method of the questionnaires), the data processing being realized through qualitative interpreting methods and through the statistical method – the descriptive graphic. Three main themes are proposed and developed, as follows: (i) causes of the disaster, warning systems and intervention plans; (ii) the authorities’ reaction and (iii) the citizens’ reaction. The results’ study demonstrates significant differences of the perception and in the attitudes between the inhabitants and the local authorities, the relationships gap between them. As main causes of the floods and of the consequent losses, the inhabitants indicated the weak reaction of the authorities and the bad management of the hydrological resources while the authorities invoked the meteorological factors, thus covering up their own responsibilities. Regarding the existence and knowledge of the intervention plans in case of a disaster it is evident the formalism in the authorities’ reaction and in creating and applying the intervention plans with definite roles and responsibilities. Regarding the authorities’ reaction the inhabitants considers it as “slow and non-transparent” while the authorities invoked a big lack of means at the local level. The results of the third theme demonstrates that the population was often unprepared and its reaction is slow while the authorities have the tendency to “underestimate” the community and to ignore its self-organizing potential, considering that the individual reaction of the inhabitants didn’t even exist and that they were all waiting for help. We consider that the communities should benefit from a serious training regarding how to face such calamities. A better communication between the authorities and the community would be ideal; it should also take into account the psycho-emotional factors manifested during such crisis situations. Among the possible solutions and approaches of the disasters, besides drawing a holistic model having as main point the “Plan to prepare the community for a disaster”, we also have the option of rebuilding the community spirit and the local solidarity.

Keyword: floods, psychosocial effects, perception, attitudes