Across the world, communities face annual and increasingly extreme flood events, yet there is a widespread lack of proactive preparedness. This failure to anticipate and mitigate flood risks deepens the damages experienced, stalling development, undermining environmental sustainability, and driving many communities deeper into poverty. Anticipatory action has emerged as a proactive strategy in river flood risk management, aiming to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance community resilience before disasters strike. This study assesses the implementation of anticipatory action strategies in Nigeria by building on qualitative data to assess community vulnerabilities and capacities. Findings indicate that over 70% of the total number of respondents in the selected nine communities in Nigeria lacked access to timely early warnings, and more than half viewed floods as unavoidable, reducing their engagement in long-term resilience planning. Communities demonstrated a stronger preference for short-term relief over proactive preparedness for disasters. Findings reveal a convergence of structural and behavioral vulnerabilities within the population. This highlights the study's contribution by connecting behavioral insights with anticipatory frameworks in high-risk communities. The study shows that there is a clear need for community-driven approaches that combine anticipatory action with economic support, sustained engagement, and other adaptive measures. By closing both behavioral and structural gaps, more effective anticipatory action policies can be institutionalized.