Our team of preparedness professionals has been monitoring current disasters for the last five years and here is a list of common disasters that occur during the month of August:

• Wildfire disasters
• Hurricane disasters
• Flood disasters
• Extreme weather disasters

So, what are we talking about when we mention these general disaster categories?  Let us get more specific about these categories:

Wildfire disasters include situations such as:

• In July over 250,000 people were evacuated in France due to wildfires.
• Also in July, wildfires in Norway destroyed more than 100 homes.
• Huge wildfires burn in California, Oregon, and Minnesota.
• Persistent wildfires causing evacuations!

Hurricane disasters include situations such as:

• Last August, Hurricane Henriette swelled to a Category 5 hurricane, but luckily it did not strike land.
• In 2024 Hurricane Beryl killed three when it slammed into Texas.
• Also in 2024, Hurricane Debby’s aftermath left thousands in the dark and in the mud.
• Beaches closed, sandbags were filled as tropical storm Bertha dumped heavy rain in Louisiana, Texas, and other Gulf states.

Flood disasters include situations such as:

• Last month in 2026, Texas flooding forced evacuations and rescues yet left two dead.
• In Pakistan, 2 million people were at risk by flooding as 250,000 people were displaced in 2025.
• In 2025 flooding canceled the Wisconsin State Fair, caused major power outages, and closed many roads.
• In 2024, deadly floods socked the Northeast states of New York and Connecticut.

Extreme weather disasters include situations such as:

• In late July of 2026, a sweltering heat dome is expanding across the U.S. and continues into August.
• In 2025 a brutal heat pattern plagued parts of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
• U.N. climate chief says humans have 2 years to ‘save the world’.  That comment was in 2024!
• In 2024 a record heat streak does not alter the climate change threat two years later!

If you and your family are concerned about these common August disasters, its time your family takes action now because none of these disaster types are going away.  Disasters such as wildfires, floods and hurricanes require a family to have some sort of evacuation plan as an option to ‘riding’ out one of those disasters in your home.  Battling extreme heat requires having a robust shelter in place plan to ensure your family has comfort items in place to ride out weather situations such as power outages, unbearable outdoor heat, drought conditions, and water shortages. 

Here are some tips on how to stay healthy when temperatures rise:

• Avoid strenuous outdoor activities or plan to do them during cooler parts of the day.
• For people who have to be outside, dress in loose, lightweight, light-colored clothing and shield yourself from the sun with hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen. 
• Take more breaks if you plan to be outside during the heat of the day.
• You can also try to stay cool by soaking your head and shirt in water.
• Buy some battery-operated fans in case of power outages.
• Have a spray bottle handy and keep your skin moist by misting yourself often.

In 2026, this summer has already seen record extreme heat and weather.  But its not over and your family can expect several more months from this unbearable heat.  Your family can use some of the tips mentioned above to stay cool the rest of this summer.  If you want to be more proactive, your family should consider reviewing some of our tiny courses on our family-preparedness website here.   In addition, our website has a number of quizzes you can take to determine if you are ready for more than 50 disaster types that can harm your family.  If the quiz you take indicates your family is not as prepared as they should be then check out the free information on our webpages located here.  Our ‘How to Prepare’ webpages include basic information on how to create a shelter-in-place plan, an evacuation plan, as well as dozens of blog posts on how to prepare your family for the worst that might happen.  Do not put this off.  The heat is not going away so act now before the heat gets the best of your family!