Is Your Practice Prepared for Weather Emergencies and Other Hazards?

This article originally appeared in the Summer 2026 issue of EquiManagement. Sign up here for a FREE subscription to EquiManagement’s quarterly digital or print magazine and any special issues.

In 2024, the U.S. declared a major weather emergency on average every four days, according to the International Institute for Environment and Development. And that figure doesn’t include large-scale hazards created by events like train derailments, hazardous materials spills, explosions, and even disease outbreaks.  For example, the November 2025 UPS cargo plane crash at the Louisville, Kentucky, airport and an electric truck fire in Northern California in August of 2024 both had the potential to endanger nearby equine veterinary practices and the clients in their care. “It is hard to put out lithium battery fires, and the toxic gases can be dangerous,” says Briana Hamamoto, DVM, PhD, the large animal veterinarian on the California Veterinary Emergency Team, run by the University of California, Davis.