Final Thoughts: Extreme Weather Hazards

In this module, we explored how extreme weather events—supercharged by climate change—translate into profound challenges for public health.

You learned how heavy storms and floods can injure and kill in the blink of an eye, set off domino effects like disease outbreaks (e.g. post-hurricane infections), and disrupt healthcare systems.

We saw that droughts can be just as deadly, albeit in slow motion, by eroding the very resources (water, food, clean air) that communities depend on, sometimes leading to mass displacement and socio-economic collapse.

We briefly touched on heat waves, noting that heat is a silent killer growing in magnitude, which we’ll examine more in the next module.

Through real examples:

Through looking at these disasters and the concepts of vulnerable populations, it is clear that climate change is already a public health emergency.

Health impacts of extreme weather

Crucially, we emphasized that the health impacts of extreme weather are not uniform:

These factors play huge roles in who is most affected. This recognition is vital for crafting effective responses.

As future clinicians and health leaders

You may find yourself on the front lines when disasters strike your community. Whether it’s triaging patients in an ER during a flood, managing chronic disease care in an evacuation shelter, or planning a hospital’s resilience measures, your understanding of climate-exacerbated hazards will help you save lives.

As advocates, you can voice the needs of your patients in disaster planning meetings and push for policies that address climate threats (for example, strengthening the power grid so hospitals don’t go dark, or improving drainage in flood-prone areas).

By completing this module, you should feel more confident in explaining why extreme weather events are a growing health concern and what can be done to mitigate their impact.

In the next module, we will turn our focus to one extreme hazard— extreme heat—delving into why heat waves are so dangerous and how healthcare can respond.

As you move forward, keep the big picture in mind: Climate change’s fingerprints are on today’s floods, storms, and droughts, and understanding this helps us prepare and protect our patients and communities in a changing environment.

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Unless otherwise noted, images are from Adobe Stock.

Vulnerability and Preparedness

Planetary Health

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Health impacts of extreme weather