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How to Survive Any Extreme Weather Disaster

A new book offers survival guidelines for storms, floods, fires, and more

How to Survive Any Extreme Weather Disaster

A new book offers survival guidelines for storms, floods, fires, and more

Published 10-08-14

Submitted by The Climate Survivalist

New York Times bestselling author Thomas M. Kostigen’s NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXTREME WEATHER SURVIVAL GUIDE: Understand, Prepare, Survive, Recover (National Geographic Books; ISBN: 978-1-4262-1376-2, on sale Oct. 21, 2014; $30 hardcover), is the only book that you will want to have with you when the weather becomes so extreme that one wrong decision could be a matter of life or death.

With record-breaking temperatures, storm intensities, property destruction and even fatalities, the news is filled with catastrophic events: Hurricane Sandy brought epic destruction to New York and New Jersey in 2012; monster Typhoon Haiyan wrought havoc in the Philippines in 2013; and a dip in the polar vortex in 2014 made Chicago colder than the South Pole in summer. In many places, summers are hotter, winters are colder and new weather records are frequently set. One thing is clear: We need to be prepared to deal with Mother Nature in order to protect our loved ones, our property, our communities and our lives. THE EXTREME WEATHER SURVIVAL GUIDE explains how to survive in this new normal.

A hurricane is coming. Should you leave home or stay put? What could be lurking in water that has flooded your house? (Hint: They slither!) What should you do if you’re trapped in a house during a wildfire? Where is the safest place to seek shelter outside during a downpour or thunderstorm? If you need to evacuate your home, what should you bring with you and where should you go?  How do you power up when the power grid goes down? If you have no heat during a blizzard, how do you keep warm? Where is the safest place to be during a tornado?

Many people face these questions in the heat of the moment, but as Kostigen points out in his timely and important book, it’s best to know the answers long before an extreme weather event occurs. Each chapter — thunderstorms, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, drought, wildfires, rising temperatures, heat waves, cold waves and blizzards — includes critical guidelines and information from organizations and agencies such as the Red Cross, Federal Emergency Management Agency and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration that are the most experienced in handling these emergencies. Kostigen’s level-headed discussion of current weather extremes, facts and details on conditions and theories as to why these conditions are occurring arms us with the knowledge needed to recognize when bad weather is on the horizon. His “dos and don’ts” for being inside and outside and at-a-glance guidance help to ensure that you can beat the odds against a weather emergency and recover as soon as possible. Useful sidebars feature vital gear and gadgets to have on hand, provide safety tips for your pets (and explain why dogs and cats are afraid of thunder and lightning) and give the basics for stocking food and water supplies and your emergency safety kit. Survivors and experts share firsthand accounts and observations on how to survive horrific weather conditions, hoping their cautionary tales can help you in a flood or wildfire, hurricane or hailstorm, blizzard or heat wave.

Coupled with breathtaking photography of some of nature’s wildest weather from the National Geographic archives and explanatory weather diagrams, THE EXTREME WEATHER SURVIVAL GUIDE gives you the knowledge and tools you’ll need when the weather turns against you.

Publishing a week earlier, on Oct. 14, 2014, is a National Geographic Kids’ book by Kostigen, “Extreme Weather: Surviving Tornadoes, Sandstorms, Hailstorms, Blizzards, Hurricanes, and More!” (ISBN: 978-4263-1811-5).

 

About the Author
Thomas M. Kostigen
is the founder of The Climate Survivalist.com and a columnist for USA Today. He is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller “The Green Book: The Everyday Guide to Saving the Planet One Simple Step at a Time” as well as five other books, including “You Are Here,” “The Green Blue Book” and “The Big Handout.” He appears regularly in the media, and has been a guest on the Today Show, CNN’s Erin Burnett, MSNBC’s Morning Joe, CNBC, National Public Radio, Entertainment Tonight, Fox News, among many other programs. Follow him on Twitter @weathersurvival or via The Climate Survivalist on Facebook.

The Climate Survivalist

The Climate Survivalist

The Climate Survivalist is the only web site that bridges the gap between extreme weather news and information and survival advice. Inspired by the National Geographic survival guides authored by TCS’s founder, Thomas M. Kostigen, this web site is designed as an information forum.

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