Natural disasters pose major welfare risks to farmed animals, requiring emergency plans to prevent mass suffering from entrapment, drowning, and starvation.
Farmed animals confined in buildings are entirely dependent on human decisions during disasters. Without evacuation plans, backup power for ventilation, and emergency feed supplies, animals face preventable mass suffering. The concentration of animals in intensive systems creates catastrophic welfare risk during flooding or fire. Investment in emergency preparedness is both a welfare and economic imperative.