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Every year it seems like more hurricanes and tropical storms are hurdling towards Hawaii. Although there were no direct hits in 2018, the Central Pacific saw six named hurricanes that caused major flooding damage across the islands. In addition to the cyclones, Kauai experienced record flooding with over 49 inches of rain in a 24-hour period between April 14-15, 2018. Floods aren&rsquo;t just a possibility in Hawaii&mdash;they&rsquo;re a reality.

Water can overflow and flood for a slew of reasons, including excessive rain, ice melting from snowcaps, rising sea levels and storms. The water accumulation can be slow moving&mdash;or come on quickly&mdash;destructing everything in its path. &ldquo;The vast majority of fatalities that we see during severe weather storms today are caused by flooding,&rdquo; says&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/user/jake-marshall-5">Jake Marshall</a>, Senior Director of Enterprise Preparedness and Emergency Operations with HCA Healthcare in Nashville, Tennessee.

But fortunately, there are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family from flooding. Here are some ways you can stay safe during a storm.

How to prepare 
Have a flood&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan" target="_blank">plan</a>&nbsp;in place, and be sure to include any <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/emergency-preparedness/slideshow/ways-prepare-pets-next-emergency">pets</a>. Delegate where you would go in an emergency situation and what your evacuation route would be. You can check your area&rsquo;s flood risk <a href="http://gis.hawaiinfip.org/FHAT/" target="_blank">here</a>, but know that anywhere may be susceptible to flooding in the right conditions.

If you receive a flood watch alert, that means there&rsquo;s a possibility of flooding in your area. Listen to emergency instructions, figure out the highest floor you can safely get to and make sure your&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/first-aid-safety-preparedness/slideshow/first-aid-kit-essentials-arent-bandages#slide-1">emergency kit</a>&mdash;with water, food, any medications, batteries and a flashlight&mdash;is ready to go. Be sure to prepare your house by moving furniture to the highest floor, disconnecting all electrical appliances and if told to do so, turning off your gas and electricity.

If you receive a flood warning, it means you should be ready for a flood.

<ul>
	<li>Get to higher ground:&nbsp;Marshall says you should attempt to get to the highest point in your home, excluding the attic. If water rises, you could become trapped because most attics are enclosed with only one trap door leading to the rest of the house. &ldquo;I really caution people against going into their attic unless that is the absolute last chance that they have,&rdquo; he says.</li>
	<li>Leave as early as possible:&nbsp;If you are told to evacuate, get out as soon as possible.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sharecare.com/user/michael-wargo-2">Mike Wargo</a>, assistant vice president for Enterprise Preparedness and Emergency Operations&nbsp;out of HCA Healthcare in Nashville, Tennessee, suggests leaving your home as soon as you can. Once a storm hits, it becomes even more difficult to evacuate.</li>
	<li>Understand your local traffic routes:&nbsp;Study and understand the best route of travel before you leave. Look for any evacuation signs while driving. And keep in mind: Roads will likely be congested with traffic as people try to evacuate before the storm. If you do decide to leave, &ldquo;get on the road as quickly as you can,&rdquo; says Marshall.</li>
	<li>Don&rsquo;t walk or drive through floods:&nbsp;Even if the water doesn&rsquo;t look deep, six inches of moving water can knock you down; currents from only one foot of water can be strong enough to move your car.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ready.gov/" target="_blank">Ready.gov</a>&nbsp;and other sites suggest &ldquo;turn around, don&rsquo;t <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/first-aid-safety-preparedness/article/understanding-drowning-risks-hawaii">drown</a>.&rdquo; That means if you start down a flooded street, turn around and look for an alternate route of travel. &ldquo;The depth of water and the conditions of water underneath the surface can rapidly become extremely dangerous,&rdquo; says Marshall. And unfortunately, most people don&rsquo;t realize it until it&rsquo;s too late. Surfers should also take extreme caution&mdash;no matter how <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/health/safety-preparedness/article/no-you-shouldnt-surf-hurricanes">tempting the waves are</a> during a large storm, do not go out on the water.</li>
</ul>

After a flood &nbsp; 
Don&rsquo;t try to drive or walk over recently flooded areas. &ldquo;Listen to the advice of local authorities,&rdquo; says Marshall. &ldquo;And only attempt to repatriate yourselves to move back in once they have declared the area safe.&rdquo; There are many complications that can occur post-storm, like drowning or being hit by floating debris. Some people might think it&rsquo;s safe to go back home or they may try to rescue a neighbor, but it&rsquo;s important to keep your safety first.

After a flood, there&rsquo;s also a risk of encountering contaminated water. &ldquo;If someone does go into flood waters and reemerge seemingly safe, several weeks later we often see folks come down with very serious sicknesses,&rdquo; says Marshall. These illnesses can be caused by bacteria, viruses and toxins lurking in flood water.

Any place where standing water can sit and accumulate may become breeding areas for insects and parasites that may spread diseases. For instance, in newer communities and developments, storm runoff and rainwater may be collected in something called a water retention pond. These ponds can have some benefits to the community by helping to prevent flooding in homes and businesses but may also pose potential health hazards such as insect borne illnesses. Stay away from these areas and spray yourself with bug spray.

Be careful around downed power lines. If there&rsquo;s a fallen power source in standing water, it can cause electrocution. So, how do you avoid it? &ldquo;Don&#39;t enter the flood water and heed public evacuation warnings that are issued by officials,&rdquo; says Marshall.

Remember: Be aware of your surroundings, only leave your shelter area once you&rsquo;re given the okay to do so and avoid flood water at all costs.

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A &ldquo;heat dome&rdquo; has descended upon Western and Central Europe, fueling record-breaking temperatures as high as 106&deg; Fahrenheit. The extreme weather event, which occurs when the atmosphere traps sweltering air like a lid, has claimed more than 1,000 lives. In the United States, more than 110 million people are also under heat alerts in 28 states. As of July 21, cities across the country&mdash;from California to New England&mdash;are grappling with scorching temperatures well above 90&deg; Fahrenheit.

Though still unusual, heat waves have become increasingly common and extreme in recent decades. In the U.S. alone, there were 3,066 heat-related deaths between 2018 and 2020. The worrisome trend is expected to continue as the global climate shifts.

What is happening 
The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal and gas, releases carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere where it accumulates. Like a blanket, this CO2 traps heat, warming the Earth and its oceans, which is disrupting the delicate balance of connected ecosystems.

As the planet warms, weather patterns are changing. Warmer air and melting Arctic ice weakens the polar jet stream&mdash;the strong band of winds that forms at the point where balmy air from lower latitudes meets the frosty air of the Arctic. Weaker winds cause the jet stream to lose strength and become wobbly, allowing the cold air normally trapped in the Arctic to descend into North America. In recent years, this has resulted in bizarre spring-like weather in the Arctic and freezing temperatures in Europe, adding to mounting concerns about the effects of human-induced climate change.

The temperature of the world&rsquo;s oceans and the Earth&rsquo;s atmosphere affects wind and precipitation as well as the circulation of heat. Global warming is influencing the severity, duration, and frequency of heat waves.

How extreme heat harms 
How does this affect the health of people? Extreme heat events can be dangerous&mdash;even deadly. &nbsp;

Heat waves can <a href="https://www.sharecare.com/first-aid-safety/headache-clammy-skin-signs-overheating" style="color:blue; text-decoration:underline">lead to heat-related illnesses</a>, such as heat cramps, heat exhaustion&mdash;and in the most extreme cases, heat stroke. Heat stroke occurs when the body is no longer able to regulate its temperature, causing it to rise quickly. Since the body can&rsquo;t cool down effectively, heat stroke, without immediate medical attention, can cause death.

Extreme heat can also exacerbate existing chronic health issues, such as diabetes. It&rsquo;s also linked to heart or respiratory conditions since high temperatures are often associated with higher levels of dangerous air pollutants.

While people can adapt to gradual changes in their environment, they are much more vulnerable to dramatic and unexpected temperature swings.

Extreme heat can affect people&rsquo;s ability to think and work productively. More than one billion workers around the world are exposed to extreme heat events, according to an August 2021 review published in The Lancet. Of these people, one-third experience negative health effects as a result, the researchers cautioned.

Certain groups are more vulnerable 
People who have more trouble regulating their body temperature are more vulnerable to extreme weather events, such as heat waves. Among those at greater risk: babies and young children, those who are pregnant, and older people.

People who work outdoors and athletes are also more likely to experience the negative health effects of extreme heat waves.

Underserved low-income communities where people lack air conditioning, access to cool public facilities or pools and other resources that could mitigate the health risks of heat waves are also at higher risk for heat-related illnesses. Those living in crowded cities are also more vulnerable to intense heat. Concrete and other human-made surfaces absorb more sunlight during the day and radiate this heat in the evening. The air quality where people live and their mental health also play a role in how susceptible they are to extreme heat events, according to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

Since 1999, people older than 65 and non-Hispanic Blacks have had a higher-than-average risk of death from heat-related heart disease than the general U.S. population, the Environmental Protection Agency reports.

What can be done 
Climate change is coinciding with growth of the aging population. As extreme weather events happen with greater intensity and frequency, this group at high risk for health-related consequences is expanding, The Lancet review points out, noting that without strategies in place to protect against a hotter future, heat-related illness and deaths will increase.

More research is needed to better understand how climate change is affecting human health, the researchers advised. They added that early warning systems, which enable people to anticipate and prepare for extreme weather events can help protect community health.

Investment in green spaces and new technologies, such as cool roofs (which are designed to reflect more sunlight), can help cities withstand extreme heat. &nbsp;Other measures which can help:

<ul>
	<li>Greater access to air conditioning or cooling centers</li>
	<li>Strategic landscape design, such as planting trees or creating urban forests to offer more shade and lower temperatures in public spaces</li>
	<li>Heat alerts that prompt people to hydrate and avoid strenuous outdoor activity during peak sun hours</li>
	<li>Access to public drinking fountains, swimming pools, and spray pads</li>
	<li>Updated building codes to increase energy efficiency</li>
	<li>Investment in green energy, reducing reliance on fossil fuels</li>
</ul>

Extreme Heat Wave Blankets U.S. and Europe 

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