How to Survive the 7 Most Dangerous Extreme Weather Events

Extreme weather events are some of the most destructive forces on Earth. They can wipe out entire communities in minutes and cause billions of dollars in damage. Advancements in weather forecasting technology have allowed people to anticipate these disasters before they strike, but they can still be deadly even with prior preparation.

Here’s how preppers should handle the seven most dangerous types of extreme weather events — including potential causes of death and some important tips to improve your chances of survival.

1. Heat Waves

It might surprise you that heat waves are the deadliest weather events by a significant margin. Heat waves caused an average of 130 deaths yearly in the United States from 1993 to 2022. This total comes from the U.S. Natural Hazard Statistics, the group responsible for tallying all weather-related injuries and fatalities.

This alarming statistic begs the question — why are heat waves so perilous? Many factors come into play, but the biggest reason is that they are largely inescapable. Everyone in the area faces constant exposure to a higher heat index, which puts them in immediate danger of experiencing dehydration and heat exhaustion — especially those who work outside.

Older adults and people with cardiovascular issues also face a higher risk of health complications that could result in blood clotting, heart attacks, strokes and death. Heat waves often create a perpetual state of dehydration, which thickens the blood and forces your organs to work harder. They put the body into overdrive and sometimes it shuts down.

A heat wave is three days or longer with temperatures of 90 F and high humidity levels. These conditions don’t have to cover a wide area. They’re often concentrated in metropolitan areas because the sun bakes the pavement and concrete buildings, creating what meteorologists call an urban heat island.

If your hometown finds itself trapped in a brutal heat wave, you must take the following precautions:

Stay in air-conditioned buildings during daylight hours.
Don’t rely on fans as your primary cooling methods.
Drink more water than usual and don’t wait until you’re thirsty.
Avoid using the stove or oven to cook, as it will increase your home’s temperature.
Dress in lightweight, breathable, light-colored clothing.
Frequently communicate with neighbors and loved ones.
Seek medical care immediately if you show symptoms of heat-related stress.

Heat waves are among the most challenging weather events from a prepping perspective because, while you can implement emergency procedures for sudden events such as floods and tornadoes, heat waves can last weeks and force you to make long-term adjustments. People who live on a homestead, for instance, would spend less time outside for their safety, which could lead to maintenance problems. You would also have to devote more water to your crops and livestock to keep them alive, thereby diminishing your own supply.

Hunting and foraging would become more difficult as plants wither and animals seek shelter from the heat. Menial tasks would consume more energy. Preppers must anticipate this scenario by stocking up on food and water before temperatures get too high and, most importantly, having a solid plan to stay cool when the power goes out.

[Editor’s note: As I age, I’m beginning to understand just how much trouble excessive heat can be. For instance, I was outside mowing over the summer and, within an hour, I was feeling faint and dizzy. So, I took a cold shower and stood in front of the window air conditioner for a while. It took me half the day before I was feeling better again. Just imagine not having A/C or cold water!]

2. Floods

Floods are the second-most deadly type of extreme weather, causing an average of 89 deaths yearly from 1993 to 2002. This fatality rate has increased to 104 annual deaths in the last decade due to more frequent thunderstorms, tropical storms and hurricanes.

The main reason why floods are so lethal is the destructive force of running water. It can wipe out entire communities, tear homes from their foundations and carry them for miles. Flash floods also catch people off guard, unlike most other weather events, which is why driving into flood waters is the most common cause of accidental death during flooding.

Additionally, floods are still deadly after the water has stopped flowing since standing water can contain chemical hazards, spread infectious diseases and lead to drowning if the depth is unknown. Someone could be walking in one foot of water and suddenly hit a drop-off, never to be seen again.

Preppers should already have the resources and emergency plans to survive a flood in place. You should prepare a first-aid kit for evacuation and, above all else, have an escape route to higher ground. While you should be in good shape if you have a kit and live at higher elevations, you must still be prepared for a flash flood if you live near any sort of running water, upstream dam, or area where floods have occurred in the past.

Keep an eye on your local forecast since authorities should send a flash flood warning if one is imminent, giving you more time to reach safety. Even so, it never hurts to stick your head out the window and pay attention to the weather. 🙂

[Editor’s note: The wildfires in Lahaina have reminded me just how important it is to be able to evacuate at a moment’s notice as some disasters, including flash floods, strike without warning.]

3. Winter Weather

Freezing temperatures and snowstorms have combined to cause an average of 74 deaths per year from 1993 to 2022. The main causes of death are hypothermia, heart attacks and traffic accidents due to icy road conditions.

People can die of hypothermia due to overexposure in as little as one hour. Once the body loses heat faster than it can produce, delirium sets in and organs shut down. People are also more likely to die of heart attacks in extreme temperatures, both hot and cold. Some have even suffered a heart attack while shoveling snow or doing another strenuous outdoor activity, so be sure to limit your workload. Other hazards, such as sharp icicles, falling tree branches and roof avalanches, have also killed people.

Due to these immediate risks, the best strategy for surviving harsh winter weather is to stay indoors and wait things out. You should make the following home improvements so your homestead is more resilient, if needed:

Insulate water lines that run along outside walls to prevent freezing.
Strengthen wall and attic insulation.
Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows to keep drafts out.
Install storm windows or cover the inside with plastic.
Repair roof leaks and remove tree branches that could cause damage during a storm.
Build additional shelters for livestock and winter crops so they don’t get caught in the snow.

Each year, 24% of weather-related car accidents occur on snowy, icy or slushy pavement. About 15% happen during heavy sleet or snowfall, which can significantly decrease visibility even if the roads are still manageable. Therefore, drive with extreme caution if you must leave the house for emergencies. Slow down, increase the distance between the vehicle in front of you, and avoid sudden stops and starts. You should also stick to suburban streets because you’re more likely to lose control on high-speed highways.

4. Tornadoes

Tornadoes claim the fourth spot on this list, causing an average of 71 deaths yearly from 1993 to 2022. However, that number has dropped to 45 in the last decade thanks to faster response times, improved community coordination and more resilient building designs. The biggest cause of tornado-related deaths is blunt force trauma from flying debris.

Other potential causes of death during a tornado are falls from great heights, stress-induced heart attacks, house fires, electrocutions, suffocation, car accidents and carbon monoxide poisoning. Most of these happen when the victim gets trapped inside a building and dies from damage caused by the tornado.

According to the Fujita Scale, a moderate-intensity F1 tornado has wind speeds of 73-112 mph, while severe F5 tornadoes can reach over 200 mph. F2 and F3 wind speeds are strong enough to carry buildings hundreds of feet in the air. That’s why you must seek shelter underground if a tornado strikes your area.

Even if you live outside Tornado Alley in the Midwest, you should still take some precautions:

Secure all your outdoor belongings to the ground or bring them inside.
Establish a shelter-in-place area in your basement with food, water and medical supplies.
If you live in a home without a basement, identify a safe structure nearby or build an underground storm shelter.
Sign up for tornado warnings on your cellphone.
Create a communication plan with family members and neighbors.

You should also consider making infrastructural changes to your homestead. The best tornado-resistant buildings have insulated concrete form walls, anchor bolts, roof straps, interlocking shingles and impact-resistant windows. These improvements will make your property more resilient to other disasters as well.

Some of these renovations are difficult to do yourself, so you might have to hire professional help. DIY is usually the best route for preppers, but you should be willing to make exceptions when preparing for extreme weather conditions.

[Editor’s note: Driving in a vehicle during a tornado outbreak can be dangerous, too. Overpasses, from what I understand, are bad places to seek shelter because they create a wind tunnel effect. Also, it’s probably a bad idea to attempt to outrun a tornado, but do what you have to do to stay out of its way.]

5. Tropical Cyclones

Tropical cyclones, including depressions, hurricanes and storms, rank fifth, with 48 yearly deaths. These deaths are solely attributed to high-speed winds, as floods are dangerous enough to have their own category. Hurricane winds are 74 mph or greater, tropical storm winds are between 39 and 73 mph, and tropical depressions are less than 39 mph.

Aside from flooding, the main cause of death during hurricanes is blunt force trauma from flying debris. Although tornado winds are usually stronger, hurricanes still have enough power to lift vehicles and other heavy machinery. Other causes of death include stress-induced heart attacks, electrocutions and hypothermia from freezing rain.

Many hurricane fatalities also occur weeks after the storm as the community recovers. People die from lack of medical care due to hospital closures, carbon monoxide poisoning and the spread of infectious diseases. That’s why evacuation is usually the best course of action. Your home might survive the storm, but that doesn’t mean it’s safe if the power goes out.

Ensure a successful evacuation by mapping multiple escape routes and stockpiling essential supplies. If you’re a serious prepper, chances are good that you have these resources readily available at a moment’s notice, but just to be sure:

Enough food and water for several days, if not longer
Cooler and ice packs to refrigerate consumables (and/or a solar generator)
Reliable battery-powered communication device (or a way to charge your phone, such as a car charger)
A way to cook food without power (canned foods don’t need heated)
Personal hygiene items (especially toilet paper and hand sanitizer)
First-aid kit
Personal documents

You could also make structural changes to your home so it withstands hurricane winds and keeps out the heavy rain, such as storm shutters. Your house will likely sustain minor damage but won’t get carried away unless it sits directly in the flood zone. If that’s the case, you should have already evacuated.

6. Lightning Strikes

Lightning strikes are more common than you think, killing an average of 36 people annually. In most cases, the lightning isn’t a direct strike. Instead, it strikes a nearby object and ricochets toward the victim — also known as a side flash, ground current, conduction or streamer, depending on the victim’s distance.

Electric shock is the main cause of death from lightning strikes. A typical flash of lightning is about 300 million volts or 30,000 amps. For comparison’s sake, a household’s electric current is about 120 volts or 15 amps. Other causes of lightning-related death include house fires, heart attacks and brain damage from lack of oxygen.

Most indirect lightning strikes occur around swimming pools, standalone trees, utility poles, exposed pipes, barbed wire fences, boats and open-cab vehicles. You must avoid these objects during a thunderstorm at all costs. Find a sturdy building, wait inside your car with the windows closed or look for a thick grove of trees.

If you are hunting, foraging or doing another activity away from home, sit on the ground and put your head between your knees. Don’t lie flat because you’ll make yourself a bigger target for ground currents. If someone is struck, perform CPR and administer first aid for burns and other injuries.

[Editor’s note: My father used to joke that if he were ever out golfing during a thunderstorm, he would just hold up a one iron because, he said, “Not even God could hit a one iron.” My guess is he stole that from a golfer, but it’s still funny.]

7. Wildfires

Wildfires aren’t always considered extreme weather events because they’re often caused by human activity. However, even natural wildfires are deadly enough to earn a spot on this list. They were responsible for 70 deaths worldwide in 2020 and have caused more than 200 deaths in a single year multiple times since 1990.

The main causes of wildfire deaths are burns, smoke inhalation and building damage. Most victims are specially trained firefighters or people caught in the flames while trying to evacuate. Wildfires can cover more than 14 mph at their highest speeds, creating a hopeless situation for anyone who waited too long to evacuate.

[Editor’s note: I’m fairly certain than wildfires can move much faster than 14 mph, especially when moving uphill. Regardless, most of us can’t run even that fast, so you really need a plan to bug out by vehicle in such a scenario.]

The western United States faces a much higher risk of wildfires than the east. You must have an action plan in place if you live in a high-risk area, according to the National Wildfire Index. Map out several escape routes and prepare an evacuation kit. Don’t hesitate to grab your belongings and leave when there’s a warning. Every second counts.

Thankfully, most of us who have a preparedness mindset have a heightened duty to prevent wildfires compared to average citizens. Even so, you must be extra careful with outdoor fires if you live in a remote or heavily wooded area. Don’t burn anything outside of a well-maintained fire pit on your property and use your gas-powered equipment responsibly during high fire risk times.

Be Prepared for Any Weather Event

The United States is so geographically diverse that all these extreme weather events can occur throughout the year. You should be prepared, no matter how unlikely they seem. They are deadly with proper precautions, combining to cause hundreds of deaths yearly.

You must have a plan in place, whether it’s for a heat wave, flood, blizzard, tornado, tropical storm, lightning strike or wildfire. Preparedness-minded folks, like you and I, never leave anything to chance, which is why you choose to act now. So, if there’s anything you’re not ready for in the list above, get on it!

[Note: This was a guest post.]