At the time of writing my original article, which appeared on the old Forum, people in parts of UK were at risk of flooding and potential evacuation which nudged me into sharing an excellent link to advice from the American Red Cross on being prepared for emergencies and helping your pet recover afterwards. Now flooding is again affecting the UK it seems timely to post it again.
Of course it isn't only UK that suffers such events, many countries are even more prone to extreme events such as floods and wildfires, so I hope these links will be useful should such misfortune threaten in your part of the world.
Pet Disaster Preparedness Plan
Disaster preparedness checklist
Additional Considerations
Flood
During flooding incidents there may be:
Strong and unexpected currents
still water can conceal many hazards that could injure or trap your pet
pets (and ourselves) can become disorientated in suddenly altered landscapes, do keep dogs on leads and cats indoors or move them in cat carriers.
Fire
Even when fires appear to have been extinguished and places look safe patches may remain hot and could burn pets’ feet, especially if they dig through upper layers
Your experience counts
If you have experienced disasters you may be able to share experiences which will help others – do please comment below