Understanding cultural factors and perceptions is essential for effective disaster risk reduction. This study examines flood risk perception in Indonesian urban communities, using survey data from 1,200 participants in Bima, Pontianak, and Manado. Path analysis examined the relationships among cultural beliefs, awareness, worry, and preparedness. Results show participants believed flood losses could be reduced, but fatalistic attribution, like luck, fate, or divine will, remained influential and varied by city. Increased awareness of floods and climate change raised worry but decreased preparedness, indicating that too much concern can hinder action. Preparedness was best driven by moderate worry about community risks; personal worry often reduced proactive efforts. These findings reveal a non-linear relationship among awareness, worry, and preparedness, shaped by cultural perceptions and perceived control, in which heightened awareness can paradoxically reduce preparedness when it generates excessive worry. This challenges the information-centred risk communication model prevalent in disaster management practice, which assumes a linear progression from awareness to action. Instead, the results underscore the need for culturally and religiously attuned, action-oriented interventions that strengthen collective efficacy through visible community engagement and provide practical, achievable preparedness pathways rather than relying on awareness alone. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.