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A car is swept away by raging waters following heavy downpour in Nairobi, on March 7, 2026. [Nicholas Biwott, Standard]
The floods may last for days or weeks. But for many people living in Kenya’s vulnerable communities, the emotional scars can linger for months, years, or even a lifetime.
When heavy rains pound rooftops in flood-prone settlements, many residents do not merely worry about rising water levels. They worry about losing their homes, their possessions, their livelihoods, and sometimes their loved ones. For some, the sound of thunder alone is enough to trigger fear, panic, and memories of past disasters.
While climate change is often discussed through images of submerged homes, washed-away roads, failed harvests, and displacement, researchers are now drawing attention to a less visible consequence of extreme weather events: their impact on mental health.
