When a heavy-rain warning appears on our phones, most of us understand what it means. We know which roads usually flood, which rivers may rise, and which neighbourhoods have been affected before.
Yet knowing that a risk exists is not the same as being prepared for it.
After a major flood, we often hear people say: “We never thought it would get this bad.” Often the problem is not always that we failed to see the danger. We saw it, understood it - and carried on as usual.
This is a familiar challenge in safety management. When people are repeatedly exposed to a hazard without serious consequences, their perception of risk can change. What once caused concern begins to feel normal.
