Seasonal and extreme flooding events in agricultural areas trap, injure, and kill millions of farm animals while exposing survivors to disease, contaminated water, and prolonged cold and wet conditions.
Flood welfare emergencies for farm animals are intensifying as climate change increases the frequency and severity of extreme precipitation events in many agricultural regions. The immediate welfare harms of drowning, hypothermia, and traumatic injury are severe, but the lingering effects of prolonged wet conditions, disease pressure from contaminated water, and nutritional deficiency from disrupted feeding are often underappreciated. Pre-emptive flood planning including elevated housing for poultry, livestock emergency movement protocols, and access to emergency veterinary resources would reduce avoidable welfare harm in flood-prone agricultural areas.