New Media and Mass Communication www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3267 (Paper) ISSN 2224-3275 (Online) Vol.72, 2018 1 The Use of Public Relations Strategies in Tackling Cases of Flood in Rivers State AMADI, Richard Nlemanya Ph.D Department of Mass Communication, Rivers State University, Nkpolu-Oroworukwo, Port Harcourt NWAUBETA, Grace Nnennaya Department of Mass Communication, Captain Elechi Amadi Polytechnic, Port Harcourt Abstract Flooding has become a recurrent environmental problem in parts of the world including Nigeria. Several events cause flooding in Nigeria. Flood impact negatively on the people and society in form of loss of lives, destruction of houses, farmlands means of livelihood and infrastructural facilities as well as exposure to diseases, infections and dangerous reptiles and insects. Therefore, the study was carried out to review the causes and effects of flood and how best to utilize the techniques and strategies of the Public Relations to tackle its menace in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas of Rivers State. The urban resilience and social responsibility theory formed the theoretical framework used in this study. Sampling quota drawn from each of the three LGAs was adopted. Apart from the use of interview technique and questionnaire to collect data, a combination of public relations strategies was deployed to address flooding in the affected LGAs of the State. Many factors, including paucity of funds, idiosyncrasies of the flood victims, religious and cultural beliefs of the people challenged the efforts of the PR practitioners for a social re-engineering process towards a harmonious society. The study, therefore, recommends that government should come up with legislation to fight flooding as well as provide financial and material support to flood victims. Keywords: Flood, flood hazard management, public relations, social responsibility theory, urban resilience theory and strategy Introduction Like most countries, Nigeria is known to be vulnerable to climate change impacts especially changes in rainfall as a result of extreme weather events. These events cause farm, house and business concerns to be flooded or washed away by ravaging flood. The effects of flood .in the given environment has rekindled the need for experts to undertake the task of ensuring that a favourable environment is created in event of natural disaster or crisis. Interestingly, public relations practitioners have the edge of being a veritable catalyst when the environment, for instances, is ravaged by flood. No wonder Orukari (2010) said that “conflict is a word that the public relations practitioners have come to appreciate in course of their practice”. According to Tawari-Fufeyin, Paul and Goodleads, flood hazard is measured by possibility of occurrence of their damaging consequences, conceived generally as flood risk or by their impact on society, conceived usually as the loss of lives and material damage to society. Rivers State falls within the coastal and wetlands of the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Parts of Rivers State, therefore, contend with periodic floods especially during excess rainfalls or general rise in sea level. In the events of floods, the PR practitioners bring his skills to bear to examine key socio-economic factors and environmental services like number of people put at risk, effects of flood on ecological services and capacity of human population to recovery, all arrangements being equal and recommend way to check reoccurrence. Risk assessment is important in making decisions, policies and managing flood events towards a harmonious living. The PR practitioners, who are perceived as “risk takers” appreciatively undertake the task of addressing or tackling the flood problems through stage-by-stage approach in the areas of identification/analysis of the problem, plan of action and implementation/monitoring/evaluation processes. Statement of the Problem Managing crisis has become the toast or beauty of the public relations practice. Therefore this study investigated problems that arise as a result of flood. Adopting strategies of the PR activities also present another line of investigation of this work. Question may be raised whether there are challenges confronting the line of duty of the PR personnel in tackling the problem of floods. Hence, it will attempt to establish influence of these challenges on the part of the PR practitioners to give a new lease of life to flood areas in Port Harcourt, Obio/Akpor and Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni Local Government Areas of Rivers State. Objectives of the Study The study, among others, was aimed at identifying and addressing problems associated with flooding in Rivers state