Extreme weather events like floods provoke an array of consequences on mental health and wellbeing in affected populations, including disorientation and disruptions of one's sense of home. Relying on a phenomenological understanding of home as an essential resource for one's sense of self and safety, and health as a feeling of being at home in the world, the article focuses on home loss and disruption experienced by women after a major river flood in the Quebec province, Canada. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and analysis followed principles of narrative inquiry. We first show how the flood itself, and related events such as widespread demolitions, altered participants' sense of home and provoked disorientation. We then identify processes of sensemaking used by participants to rebuild their sense of home after the flood: documenting the event, speaking out about it, comparing their experience with others' and taking symbolic actions. We also explore issues that arose for those who were unable to act or engage emotionally with these experiences. The study highlights a gap in disaster science literature, which typically focuses on the consequences of home loss, but not on how individuals rebuild their sense of home. We argue that narrative sensemaking processes are a fruitful way of rebuilding one's sense of home after the disorientation and disruption caused by floods, which could be mobilized in re-housing efforts after disasters. • Disasters disrupt one's sense of home, causing disorientation. • Psychosocial recovery after disaster involves rebuilding one's sense of home. • Affected women employ several sensemaking processes to rebuild their sense of home. • Findings should be considered in planning and implementing re-housing after disaster.
Leclerc et al. (2026) studied this question.