From Typhoons to Wildfires
Last year, just as I was setting out to SE Asia, the area I was planning to visit in northern Vietnam was hit by Typhoon Yagi. There were lots of reported flooding leading up to my departure. I was going to be in Thailand for the first week so I just hoped that things would settle in northern Vietnam before we landed there.
Having worked in the Navy doing disaster response, as well as in Emergency Management for many years I knew that I didn’t want to land on the ground in the midst of primary response and add to the burden of response agencies. I also knew that with so many people cancelling their plans to visit, that the loss of tourism money could make recovery more difficult. So, we continued on with the hopes that our money would help, and I’d be willing to help out on the ground if necessary. Fortunately, things had mostly cleared before we arrived. Tell tale signs of the damage were still widely visible in both northern Thailand and northern Vietnam. Mud stains on buildings, high, muddy river levels, downed trees and infrastructure, roofs missing tiles were evident everywhere.
In July, as I started planning my vacation to Crete, wildfires were being battled on the island with many people in SE Crete being evacuated.[1] Fortunately, the wildfires in Crete seem to have died down, but it is important to keep in mind these potential safety issues when planning, and when on vacation.
“In Greece, fires swept through Attica, Crete, Evia, and Kythera, forcing the evacuation of at least 32,000 people, including 5,000 tourists on Crete.”
If travelling to wildfire prone areas in Greece you can check the Government of Greece’s Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection website which has lots of great information including current Fire Risk Maps. As of September 5, 2025 - Crete is in the blue!
Fire Risk Map - Greece (September 5, 2025)
Of course we all get excited about taking a trip, but it is better to be informed before you go, and how to contact emergency services in the country you are traveling to.
For more information on Safety and Security travel planning check my prior posts: Travel planning around Typhoon Yagi ; Travel Security.
[1] Early, C. (2025) 2025’s scorcher summer: Climate change fuelled deadly wildfires in the Mediterranean. Meteored. Posted online September 3, 2025.; Koutantou, A. (2025) Temperatures soar to 38C as firefighters battle massive Crete blaze. AOL. Posted online July 4, 2025.
