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Weather events—from extreme heat waves to natural disasters—are occurring with greater frequency and intensity across the globe and are more likely to impact your international travel plans. Be informed, have a plan, and you’ll be prepared to respond.
Changing Global Weather Patterns
Imagine this: your research trip to a coastal facility is derailed by a hurricane; your international conference in a major capital contends with a crippling heatwave; your thesis interviews are postponed when floods sever transportation links. Unfortunately, these are increasingly common realities shaping the landscape of international travel.
One of the most frequently issued International SOS alerts is for natural hazards, including extreme weather, and our security partners have highlighted climate change as a major travel risk in the coming years. Climate change is increasing the intensity, severity, and unpredictability of weather across the globe. Such weather events and natural disasters have secondary effects that worsen air quality, respiratory illnesses, diseases, water scarcity, food insecurity, and social unrest.
Individual travelers and faculty and staff planning international programs need to consider practical and actionable strategies to mitigate the negative impacts of climate-related events.
Extreme Heat
Just as we experience occasional heat waves and subsequent poor air quality in the northeast US, it’s increasingly possible that you’ll need to navigate the effects of these during your international travels. Although you can’t completely avoid heatwaves or air pollution (whether from high heat or wildfires), you can reduce your exposure to them.
Before you go:
- Research your destination's air quality index and monitor local weather forecasts.
- If possible, plan your trip for times with milder temperatures and better air quality levels.
- Consult with your doctor if you have a pre-existing condition like asthma or a heart condition, if you’re traveling with children, or if you’re an older traveler.
If you encounter high heat and poor air quality:
- Stay hydrated. Drink plenty of water, and consider using oral rehydration solutions to replenish electrolytes (e.g., tablets, powders, sports drinks). Limit your consumption of alcohol and caffeinated beverages, which can contribute to dehydration.
- Wear lightweight, loose-fitting clothing in breathable fabrics.
- Prioritize indoor activities, and minimize strenuous outdoor activities, especially during the afternoon to early evening when temperatures and the air quality index can soar.
- During the day, close curtains and blinds on south-facing windows.
- Take cool showers or baths, use fans strategically, and sleep with breathable cotton sheets.
- Invest in a portable air purifier for your hotel room and/or workspace if air quality is a concern.
- If you venture out, consider wearing a high-quality mask, like an N95 respirator, to significantly reduce your exposure to harmful particles.
Extreme high temperatures can exacerbate existing heart and lung conditions and lead to heat-related illnesses, including heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke. Be aware of your body's signals. If you experience dizziness, nausea, muscle cramping, headaches, or difficulty breathing, seek cool shelter and medical attention if necessary.
Extreme high temperatures also can overload electricity systems and lead to power outages. Power reductions or outages may be pre-scheduled to reduce strain on the local energy grid (sometimes called “brownouts” or “rolling blackouts”). If possible, you may want to factor the availability of backup generators into your lodging plans. Regardless, if you’re in a location with an anticipated power outage, understand how to track updates from the local energy provider, make sure your devices are charged, and have a flashlight handy. Have contingency plans for meal preparation and access to safe drinking water. During a power outage, unplug appliances and any unnecessary devices. Afterwards, throw out any food that may have spoiled.
Natural Disasters
Natural disasters are often unforeseen, and you may have little advance warning. These events take many forms, ranging from earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions to tornadoes, wildfires, and floods. Traveling to locations at high risk for natural disasters requires extensive research, planning, and preparation. The video and resources below can help you start the process.
Earthquakes, Tsunamis, and Floods
"Always be ready for disasters or emergencies even if you don't think they will happen to you! No one expects an earthquake to happen to them but once it does it saves you a lot of stress to know how to handle the situations and to know what resources are available to you.”
– Harvard undergraduate student
Hurricanes and Tropical Storms
Hurricanes, cyclones, typhoons, and other tropical storms can cause significant damage to infrastructure and become threats to human life. Unlike other, less predictable natural disasters, most tropical storms are tracked by meteorologists, and their potential impact on the local population can be anticipated.
Before you travel:
- Research your destination and plan your trip accordingly. Understand its infrastructure capabilities, emergency services capacity, and which seasons present the greatest risk.
- Register your trip with International SOS to receive alerts about potentially dangerous weather in your destination.
While in-country:
- Monitor local weather updates.
- Follow directives from local authorities, including sheltering in place or evacuation orders.
- If you’re concerned about sheltering in place and/or evacuating, contact International SOS for advice and assistance.
For more specific advice, review the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for preparing for hurricanes or other tropical storms and safety guidelines after such an event.
Secondary Effects and Contingency Planning
Beyond the immediate impacts, extreme weather events and natural disasters can cause power outages, airline and other transit cancellations and delays, damaged roads, limited cellular service, and disruptions to essential services such as healthcare systems, social services, and government services (like visa and passport issuance). There also may be prolonged effects on air quality, pollution, new or worsening disease, water scarcity, food insecurity, and social unrest. It’s important to develop contingency plans if you’re traveling to a location with the risk of extreme weather events and natural disasters.
Understand the risk landscape:
- Identify the specific natural disaster and related risks associated with your destination and season. Assess the vulnerability of your destination, research facilities, and host and partner organizations.
- Consider potential disruptions to infrastructure, transportation, communication networks, and essential services and how you’ll respond to these, including access to food, water, medicine, masks, soap/sanitizer, and basic necessities and services.
- Be aware of potential new or worsening health risks and take proactive measures to protect yourself and the communities you visit.
- Monitor local and international news to track any changes to the security landscape. Food insecurity, water shortages, and other negative impacts of climate change can lead to new or exacerbated security concerns such as resource conflicts and civil unrest.
Make contingency plans:
- Build flexible itineraries. Be prepared to shift to virtual collaboration tools to minimize travel needs while maximizing research and business continuity.
- Consider purchasing a travel insurance policy that covers weather-related delays and cancelations. Options like Cancel for Any Reason (CFAR) coverage provide broader protection for non-refundable trip costs.
- Develop or update response plans. Understand emergency protocols, communications plans, and disaster preparedness for various scenarios, including shelter-in-place and evacuation protocols.
- Budget for emergency funds to cover unforeseen expenses not covered by insurance.
- Regularly review response plans with trip leaders, on-site staff, program providers, and participants. Ensure all program leaders have essential supplies and communication tools for potential disruptions.
- Travel with a go bag containing essential contingency items like hand sanitizer, portable water filter, electronic power bank, face masks, first aid kit, etc.
Resources
Talk with Us
We also encourage you to meet with a member of our International Safety & Security team to discuss your travel and receive feedback on your plans. Challenging environments can be rewarding, but you should always prioritize your safety and well-being.
In an Emergency
Remember, if you need medical, mental health, or security advice and evacuation support while overseas, call International SOS at +1-617-998-0000 or connect through the Assistance App. And don't forget to register your trip Understand that International SOS and similar emergency services are bound by local government regulations and their ability to respond in an area devastated by a natural disaster may be limited.
