Researching natural hazards at your destination

Hazards you know about are recognised earlier. Anyone who knows that the sea suddenly drawing far back can be a warning sign of a tsunami does not run to the beach to look, but away from the water to higher ground. Anyone who knows that rivers can rise very quickly in the rainy season does not camp right on the bank. Knowledge turns a strange event into a clear signal.

Preparation moves decisions out of the stress of the event into the calm planning phase. In an emergency the brain thinks more slowly and narrowly; many people freeze or wait to see what others do. If you already know the answer, you only have to carry it out.

Many natural hazards depend on the season. Hurricane, rainy, heat and wildfire seasons are well known in many regions. Simply choosing when to travel can change the risk considerably – and so can choosing where to stay, for example not right in a river valley or at sea level when the season suggests otherwise.

The best first source is your foreign ministry's official travel advice, including the sections on natural hazards and climate. It can change at short notice, so read it before and during the trip. Weather apps alone are not enough: they show the weather, but not how the region issues warnings or what you should do then.

Find out how the region issues warnings: sirens, apps, broadcasts or text messages. Warnings often come only in the local language. So learn a few key words or ask at your accommodation what warnings sound and look like. Note the local emergency number – it is not the same everywhere.

On arrival, look at the accommodation's escape routes and think about where higher ground and assembly points are. If your country offers registration for travellers, now is a good time to sign up.

Earthquake: FEMA's “Are You Ready?” guide describes the basic rule as dropping to your knees, protecting your head and neck, taking cover under a sturdy table and holding on until the shaking stops. On the coast, a strong earthquake can also be a tsunami warning sign – then move away from the water and to higher ground without waiting for an official warning.

Floods and heavy rain: do not walk or drive through flooded roads and avoid underpasses. Hurricanes: follow the instructions of the authorities, who often warn days in advance, and decide early whether to leave. Heat and wildfire: avoid the midday heat, drink plenty, respect local fire bans and follow evacuation instructions if there is smoke or fire nearby.

For each of these hazards there are separate entries on this platform with more detail. For your trip it is enough to know well the two or three hazards that really matter at your destination at your time of travel.

On site the instructions of the local authorities apply – not what you read at home and not what other travellers say. Follow evacuation orders immediately, even if it is inconvenient or interrupts the trip. Anyone who stays out of convenience puts themselves, and later perhaps rescuers, in danger.

In remote areas, also find out how you can call for help without mobile coverage, for example via satellite communication, and agree an emergency plan with a contact person at home. This page contains no country-specific hazard assessments – up-to-date ones are available only from the official bodies.