Brit expats warned about USA weather and wildlife hazards

Britishers heading to the US for a new job need to realise the vast country isn’t the UK writ large as regards weather and wildlife.

The UK is one of the safest countries in the world as regards threats from weather events and dangerous wildlife, but the USA’s severe weather conditions and potentially deadly wildlife may take some getting used to! There’s no need to panic, but familiarising yourself with possible risks will mean you’re as secure as you were in the UK.

In many US regions, drought poses a threat to health and property, and it’s not seen just in desert regions. Heavily populated states such as California are frequently hit with severe droughts, some of which can last for several years. Protective measures include avoiding the searing hot sun, conserving water where possible, storing bottled water in the house and avoiding dehydration from drinking alcohol and strong coffee.

Wildfires are horribly common in California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington State and Montana, and need to be taken very seriously. If you’re advised to evacuate, do it! Extreme temperatures don’t just affect California’s aptly-named Death Valley, as they’re relatively common in the southern states. Staying hydrated is essential, as is avoiding being outside between 11a.m. and 3 p.m. At the opposite end of the scale, Alaska’s winters are unbelievable cold, with protection essential.

You may not realise that 300 fault lines run deep under the soil in California, and include the notorious San Andreas Fault. Washington is another state where the risk of an earthquake is real as it’s built right on a fault line. Over 1200 deadly tornadoes hit American states every year, with the ‘Tornado Alley’ mid-Western states most at risk. Experts consider Florida is also vulnerable due to its frequent thunderstorms.

Hurricanes are considered normal in many of the USA’s eastern coastal areas and are now becoming even more deadly due to rising sea levels forcing more water onshore. Lousiana is one of the states considered most at risk of severe flooding.

Wildlife in the USA is nowhere near as cuddly and sweet as it is in the UK. Alligators, brown bears, mountain lions, poisonous snakes and swarms of angry bees and wasps pose the most risks to unaware expats as well as to the local population. Advice given includes ‘don’t panic’, with a good few Brits choosing to ignore this when confronted with one or more of the above.