Extreme weather, especially natural disasters, tends to come with less-than-desirable ripple effects for everyone impacted.

Cancelled flights, power outages, and flooding can pose major inconveniences in people's lives, especially if they're not equipped to protect themselves and their property. Sadly, it is not unusual for tornadoes, hurricanes, and other comparable storms to ruin people's homes, leaving them without shelter and with limited financial resources in the aftermath.

Hurricane Beryl, which just struck Texas earlier this month, made national news, especially given the many Houston residents who were without power, days after the storm.

Now, new information shows the extent to which extreme weather is posing real danger to elderly individuals across the board.

This could be a major problem moving forward

Geriatrician Ian Neel recently dived into one of the most pressing threats that older people face in today's world. At a webinar, he revealed that individuals 65+ often find themselves enduring injuries from extreme heat waves.

Yet, around the world, temperatures are quickly rising - along with the number of senior citizens. Neither one of these trends appears likely to change. This means more and more elderly folks will struggle to remain safe, unless something changes.

According to Neel, older people are more likely to suffer from accidental falls, strokes, and dehydration amid exposure to intense heat. Furthermore, as all elderly individuals cannot afford central air, those with financial constraints remain especially vulnerable to climate's whims.

The geriatrician next presented a series of advisable solutions to prevent an uptick in danger to older people:

• Heightened access to community centers with central air
• Regularly drinking water in extreme heat to remain hydrated

It takes a village

While it's easy to remind older people of the crucial steps to shield themselves during extreme weather, certain health complications - like dementia - can prevent them from remembering.

It is at this point that Neel recommends people to look out for their older relatives and loved ones. Bringing bottled water to their homes, driving them to cooling centers during extreme heat waves, and making sure their houses are prepared ahead of a storm can go a very long way.