Flood risk perception and preparedness intention are critical intrinsic drivers of private flood protection behaviors. This study highlights that governance factors, such as trust and risk communication, play a significant role in shaping these perceptions and intentions. Despite their importance, limited research has examined how these governance dynamics influence individual's understanding of flood risk mitigation. To address this gap, the study develops a conceptual model to explore the interaction mechanisms among key variables, including flood risk perception, flood preparedness intention, trust in public flood protection capacity, and risk communication. These relationships are empirically tested using