Preparing for Extreme Weather

Updated 3/17/25: NACCHO is closely monitoring the impacts of a powerful storm system that caused damage across the Central and Southern U.S. and is ready to assist and support local health departments with response and recovery efforts.

Below you can find a range of tools and resources from NACCHO and our partners to inform and support local response to extreme weather events.

If you need support or have questions, please reach out to NACCHO’s Preparedness team for additional updates or assistance.

Extreme weather events, such as hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, and floods, are any events that are more severe in scale and magnitude than normal weather patterns.

Since 1980, there have been 391 extreme weather events, each costing over $1 billion in damage, which have resulted in over $2.755 trillion worth of damage. These costly events include severe storm, wildfire, tropical cyclone, flooding, drought, winter storm and freezes. In 2023 alone, the U.S. was impacted by 28 extreme weather and climate disasters, ranging from draught conditions in numerous Southern and Midwestern states to flooding and severe storms in the Northeast. [NOAA]

As climate change affects the frequency and severity of extreme weather events [EPA], it is critical that local health departments are equipped with the resources they need to plan for, respond to, and recover from such disasters. Local health departments are on the front lines of public health and therefore play a critical role in a community’s first response to any large-scale emergency.

NACCHO’s preparedness portfolio aims to equip local health departments with the tools needed to plan for extreme weather events, increase workforce capability through training, and effectively respond to natural disasters.

Photo courtesy Daphne Zaras/NOAA

In preparation for extreme weather events around the U.S., NACCHO has developed several resources to help local health departments plan for these events. You can visit the NACCHO Toolbox and search for "extreme weather."

Use these tools from health departments and universities around the U.S. to develop your own planning documents in the event of a natural disaster. If you have any questions about these tools, email [email protected].

There are many industry resources that have been created by our partners and other related groups. Use the links below to find helpful resources for extreme weather planning.

• NOAA: Image of 2024 Billion-Dollar Weather and Climate Disasters
  
• FEMA
  • Safe Rooms and Community Shelters Case Studies
  • Best Practices Stories
  • Protecting Our Communities: includes tools such as flood hazard mapping, hazard mitigation planning, Hazus-MH software, information about grant programs, and more
  • Ready.gov: Resources for winter weather, floods, extreme heat, drought, earthquakes, hurricanes, landslides, etc.
  • Training Video: Emergency Planning for People with Access and Functional Needs
• CDC
  • Educational Materials: a compilation of disaster and severe weather resources, searchable by topic
  • Preparedness and Safety Messaging for Hurricanes, Flooding, and Similar Disasters
  • Accessible Resources on Emergency Preparedness for People with Disabilities
  • Infant and Young Child Feeding in Emergencies Toolkit
  • Conducting Shelter Assessments and Evaluating Public Health and Healthcare Facilities
  • Earthquakes
  • Environmental Health Response and Recovery
  • Extreme Heat
    • Heat & Health Tracker
    • Social media graphics
    • Infographic: Extreme Heat
    • Infographic: Climate Change & Extreme Heat
  • Floods
  • Hurricanes
    
  • Landslides and Mudslides
  • Tornadoes
  • Tsunamis
  • Volcanoes
  • Wildfires
    • Private Wells After a Wildfire
    • Rapid Assessment Form for Wells Affected by Wildfire
  • Winter Weather
• ASPR TRACIE: Hurricane Related Resources
• Resources for Emergency Planners and Responders
• Public Health Emergency Response Guide for State, Local, and Tribal Public Health Directors
• Climate Change and Extreme Heat: What You Can Do to Prepare
  
• EPA
• National Weather Service
  
• https://www.weather.gov/safety/ breaks down resources by event and offers resources for before, during, and after an event
• Protecting Lung Health During Wildfires
• Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene Preparedness Resource Library: includes guidance and tools for health officials to peruse, from information on biological and chemical contaminants to useful communications templates often used during WASH emergencies from verified local, state, and national sources
• Virginia Hurricane Evacuation Guide During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Disaster Distress Helpline One-Page Summary
• Disaster Distress Helpline Brochure - English
  
• Disaster Distress Helpline Brochure - Spanish
• NACCHO’s Handling Retail Food Safety During a Public Health Emergency: Detailed Recommendations from Local Health Officials | Quick Checklist
• National Environmental Health Association’s Wildfire Response Guide for Environmental Public Health Professionals
• HEAT.Gov - National Integrated Heat Health Information System: a new website to provide the public and decision-makers with clear, timely, and science-based information to understand and reduce the health risks of extreme heat.
• NACCHO's Top Tips for Mosquito Control During a Hurricane Crisis: For Local Health Officials by Local Health Officials
• U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Disaster Preparedness Toolkit to help Public Housing Agencies prepare for and respond to disasters

If you are interested in learning more about our extreme weather resources and expertise, contact our Preparedness Team at [email protected].