Floods displace and kill families in Brazil. The objective of this study was to identify the routine of living for many years on the edge of a stream in Campo Grande-MS. It is innovative because it addresses the experience as a psychosocial phenomenon. Structured interviews were conducted with 19 elderly people and they were discussed within content analysis perspective. For the participants, the main problem related to their houses was the flooding in itself without analyzing other factors related to environmental risk. So, it was difficult to perceive their neighborhood as a risk area. Thus, it is necessary to conduct studies that address the relationship between person and environment, from a psychosocial perspective, considering that people use subjective aspects to understand risk. Processes that involve this perspective could help promote health associated with environmental awareness.
Psychosocial; Risk area; Health