Research of the Awareness and Preparedness for Floods of Foreigners Temporarily Residing in Bulgaria (Varna)

A survey of 230 young people from 12 countries from Europe and Asia has been made. A high percentage of respondents (42 %) have experienced a flood. Most respondents (64.6 %) have not been informed whether they live in a flood-risk area. Self-assessment of respondents’ ability to provide first aid in flood situations is high (75 %), but the overall disaster preparedness is low because 78.9 % of respondents say they feel unprepared. The awareness and readiness of the studied group of 230 young foreigners temporarily residing the country are evaluated as follows: very good in providing CPR; with a good knowledge of flood epidemic consequences 80 % will take effective measures against the risk of intestinal contagious disease, and 81.5% will be saved from drowning because they can swim; lower, but still good preparedness for wound and arterial bleeding first aid (close to 40 %), mechanisms of contamination transmission by means of objects (33,3 %), use of disinfectants in the case of epidemics (45,4 %); very low readiness for rapid evacuation incases of floods and other disasters (only 5.3 % have a bug-out bag), etc.