Written by Iris Ornek 

Introduction

On July 4th, 2025, a flood tore through Texas, causing hundreds of fatalities, earning its title as one of the top ten deadliest flash floods in U.S. History (Masters, Burt, & Henson, 2025). The flash flood happened with little warning, with water levels rising over 20 feet in under an hour (Sanchez & Rless, 2025). Many experts and media outlets attribute the high death toll to a lack of disaster preparedness in Kerr County, where many of the fatalities occurred.

How to Prepare Your Pets and Family for Natural Disasters

Disasters don’t wait until your schedule clears. They hit when they hit—on a Tuesday night, in the middle of a soccer game, or halfway through dinner. When that moment shows up, the last thing you need is to start guessing. You want to move. Fast, calm, clear. And if you’ve got animals, you better believe they’re watching your every move and following your lead—unless you’ve made zero plan for them. That’s where things break down.