2025 Summer Safety Guide For California: Snakes, Rip Tides, Sharks And More

CALIFORNIA — With its warm temperatures and longer days that leave plenty of time for activities such as swimming, hiking and picnics, summer is packed with fun.

But it’s also filled with dangers.

Hazards include everything from heat-related illnesses and drownings to car accidents and severe storms.

Here’s a look at a few of them and what to do if you're confronted with one or more of these many avoidable threats this summer:

Heat-Related Illnesses

On the heels of record heat last year, another scorcher is predicted for summer 2025, according to several forecasts, including from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center calls for above-average temperatures across the country from June through August, with pockets of extreme heat in the desert Southwest.

Heat exhaustion and heatstroke are serious conditions that can occur when the body overheats. Of the two, heatstroke is the most severe and can be life-threatening. Symptoms include a high body temperature above 103 degrees Fahrenheit, confusion, loss of consciousness and seizures.

What to do: To avoid heat-related illnesses, stay hydrated, wear loose, light-colored clothing, seek shade, and avoid strenuous activity during the hottest parts of the day. Monitor yourself and others for signs of overheating, and if you suspect heatstroke, call 911 and cool the person down with cold water or ice packs until help arrives.

• Related: Summer 2025 Will Be ‘Broiling’ Hot: Forecasts

Lightning And Summer Storms

Killer heat is expected to break records, if not this year, then at some point in the next five years, according to a recent report that warns of more deadly, fiery, and uncomfortable extremes.

The report from the World Meteorological Organization and the U.K. Meteorological Office said it’s probable the world will again exceed the international temperature threshold set 10 years ago.

“Higher global mean temperatures may sound abstract, but it translates in real life to a higher chance of extreme weather: stronger hurricanes, stronger precipitation, droughts,” according to Cornell University climate scientist Natalie Mahowald, who wasn't part of the calculations but told The Associated Press they “made sense.”

“So higher global mean temperatures translate to more lives lost,” Mahowald said.

• Related: Get Ready For Killer Heat And Violent Weather, Report Warns

Severe storms often include lightning. Overall, the risk of being struck by lightning in any given year is low, about 1 in 1,222,000, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. About 27 people die a year from lightning, and about 243 are injured.

The highest number of lightning-related deaths occurs during June, July, and August, according to the National Lightning Safety Council. About 1 in 3 deaths due to lightning were water-related, including people who were fishing, boating, or at the beach, according to NOAA.

What to do: When the skies begin to rumble with thunder, it’s time to go indoors. That means lightning is an imminent threat.

Sunburn And Sun Poisoning

Sunburns and sun poisoning (not a formal medical term, a more intense reaction to a sunburn that causes symptoms such as fever, chills and nausea) can lead to a range of problems later on, including skin cancer, chiefly caused by ultraviolet radiation from the sun or tanning beds.

Prolonged exposure to the sun can also cause photokeratitis, a painful, temporary condition caused by exposure to ultraviolet rays. It’s a bit like a sunburn, but affects the corneas of your eyes instead of your skin. Prolonged exposure can also cause eye diseases such as macular degeneration or cataracts.

What to do: Treat sunburns at home by cooling the skin with cool compresses or showers, moisturizing, and pain relievers. The best thing to do is prevent sunburn and its more severe form, sun poisoning. Dermatologists recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30, which blocks 97 percent of the sun’s UVB rays. Higher-number SPFs block slightly more of the sun's UVB rays, but no sunscreen can completely block them.

Don’t forget the sunglasses. That includes the kiddos, too, but don’t grab them from the toy aisle because those glasses don’t typically offer UV protection. The Food and Drug Administration recommends glasses with a UV400 rating or lenses offering 100 percent UV protection. Keep this in mind: Dark lenses and UV protection are not synonymous. Consider large, wrap-around frames for more protection.

Also, wear a wide-brimmed hat. Airy, light-colored clothing that provides full-body coverage can offer SPF protection.

Drowning And Water Safety

Even the best of swimmers can drown in California lakes, pools, and the ocean. As crowds flock to lakes and rivers, they also face the hidden shock while swimming in some of California's most popular destinations.

Read: Why Even The Best Swimmers Drown In California's Lakes

On average, more than 4,000 people die from drownings every year, which works out to be about 11 fatal drownings a day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency also reports an average of more than 8,000 nonfatal drownings per year.

Drowning is a leading cause of death in children ages 1-4, and among children ages 5-14, it’s the second leading cause of death after motor vehicle crashes, according to the CDC.

What to do: It’s important to know what drowning looks like — and what it doesn’t look like. Forget the dramatic scenes of people widely flailing their arms and frantically calling for help that you’ve seen on TV and in the movies.

Real-life drowning happens quietly, without flailing arms and frantic calls for help. People can't simply stop drowning long enough to take in a breath of air and call for help. The human body isn't built that way.

• Related: Forget How TV Depicted It: What Real Drowning Looks Like

If you have a swimming pool, ensure the gates are secure and that children can’t access or unlock them. Kids should be supervised at all times, and not be looking down at their cellphones the entire time they’re in the pool or at the beach. And if you haven’t enrolled your kids in swimming lessons, encourage advanced swimmers to work toward lifeguard certification.

When boating, make sure everyone has a properly fitting life jacket. Don’t drink while you’re in the water. According to the CDC, 70 percent of all deaths associated with water recreation involve alcohol, and 1 in 5 are boating deaths.

If there is no lifeguard around and you see someone drowning, extend a float, rope or stick for them to grab onto and pull them to shore. For an untrained person to rescue the person from the water carries great risk, especially if the individual is not a strong swimmer, but in situations when it’s unavoidable, approach the person from the back, wrap your arms under their armpits and pull them to safety while making sure their head stays above water.

Once you’re out of the water:

• Place the victim on their back on a firm, flat surface.
• Try to wake them by gently tapping their shoulder and shouting, “Are you OK?” to check for responsiveness.
• Check for breathing by observing chest rise and fall, and listening for breath sounds.
• If the person is not breathing or is gasping for air, begin CPR.
• Open the airway by tilting the head backward and lifting the chin to prevent the victim’s tongue from blocking the airway.
• Give five initial rescue breaths for adults or two rescue breaths for children and infants.
• Perform chest compressions. Place the heel of one hand on the center of the chest (between the nipples) and your other hand on top.
• Push down hard and fast (at least 2 inches for adults,1.5 to 2 inches for children, and 1.5 inches for infants) at a rate of 100 to 120 compressions per minute.
• Give 30 compressions followed by two rescue breaths.
• Continue the cycle until emergency services arrive or the victim is resuscitated. If you’re on your own, you can call 911 at this point.

Rip Currents

Rip currents, often called “drowning machines,” are powerful, channeled currents of water flowing away from the shore and extending through the surf zone and past the line of breaking waves, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The currents can occur at any beach with breaking waves usually forming in low spots or breaks in sandbars and near structures such as jetties and piers.

About 80 percent of rescues performed by beach lifeguards are related to rip currents, according to the U.S. Lifesaving Association, which estimates more than 100 people a year die in rip current accidents.

What to do: Know what a rip current looks like. The signs are subtle and difficult to identify, especially with rough seas. They can be spotted when the waters are calmer, especially from vantage points higher than the water’s edge. Look for:

• A channel of churning/choppy water that is distinct from the surrounding water
• A difference in water color, such as an area of muddy-appearing water (which occurs from sediment and sand being carried away from the beach).
• A consistent area of foam or seaweed is being carried through the surf.

Sand Holes

The death last year of a young girl digging in the sand on a Florida beach with her brother was a wake-up call about unseen dangers on the beach. Between three and five children a year die in sand hole collapses, The Associated Press reported, citing a 2007 medical study and news reports.

The authors of the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, said the risk of a sand hole accident is “enormously deceptive because of its association with relaxed recreational settings not generally regarded as hazardous.”

What to do: Sandcastles don’t require a lot of digging, and experts advise against digging any holes in the sand. But they say the maximum size to avoid a sand collapse is 2 feet. Parents should monitor their children, stop them if they dig too deep, and fill the holes before leaving the beach.

Swimming With Sharks

A Long Beach shark expert once told Patch, "If you're swimming in the ocean, chances are there are sharks nearby."

Sharks gained a nasty reputation in box office blockbusters such as “Jaws” and others, casting the apex predators as villains. With their serrated, dagger-like teeth, they do look menacing, and that image alone can fuel galeophobia, or the fear of sharks.

As phobias go, the likelihood of this one materializing is pretty unlikely. The sharks don’t really want to eat you, and if they did, they’d swim upward and scoop you up in a single bite, rather than nibble to see if you taste good. (For the record, you don’t. There literally are far tastier fish in the ocean.)

But the chances of being bitten by a shark are about 1 in 3.75 million, according to the International Wildlife Museum. The University of Florida's International Shark Attack File lists 1,651 recorded unprovoked shark attacks in the United States since 1837. Attacks most commonly occurred off beaches in Florida, which has seen 942 attacks since counting began.

What to do: Avoid them. Sharks are most active at dawn, dusk and nighttime. Signs they may be near include large groups of fish, seals and sea lions, which are part of sharks’ preferred diets. They may be attracted to high-contrast clothing, including bright oranges and yellows that have proven to be risky colors, as well as shiny jewelry that resembles fish scales.

If you see a shark, don’t provoke or harass it, even if it’s small. Leave the water immediately. There are other things you can do to avoid a shark attack, including staying out of the water if you have a cut. Women and girls who are menstruating should also sit out on the beach, according to National Geographic, which provides a comprehensive list of precautions.

Why Did It Have To Be Snakes?

Snakes love to sun themselves in the California sunshine. About 8,000 people are bitten by snakes every year, according to the CDC.

Most snakes are harmless, but even those bites can cause an infection or allergic reaction. Whether at home or on vacation somewhere else, you should know about the 10 deadliest snakes in North America. In California, you're more likely to see these:

• The black diamond rattlesnake is found widely across the western half of North America, from British Columbia to northern Mexico.
• The tiger rattlesnake is found along the Arizona-Mexico border.
• The Western diamondback rattlesnake is found throughout the southwestern United States.
• The Mojave rattlesnake (the most venomous rattlesnake in the world), found in the desert Southwest.

If you live in a place like Murrieta, California, the local fire department will assist with snake removal. Otherwise, a call to animal control or the California Fish and Game department may be necessary.

What to do: Before you venture into the desert, the woods, on a trail, or some other place where snakes may be, make sure you have a plan on how to get emergency medical help — a good idea in any case.

Also, ensure you have a fully stocked first aid kit. (But be skeptical of consumer snakebite kits, according to the Snakebite Foundation). While you’re waiting for medical help, lay or sit the person down, positioning them so the bite is below the level of the heart. Wash the wound with warm, soapy water, and cover the bite with a clean, dry dressing from the snake bite kit.

Highway Hazards

Pack your defensive driving skills with everything else if you’re heading out on a road trip, or just commuting to work or running errands around town. Road trips increase significantly during the summer months when school is out and people take vacations.

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows drunken driving fatalities double during the summer months compared to the rest of the year. The agency says younger, less experienced drivers are the most vulnerable to accidents, especially during summer holidays when travel and alcohol consumption both increase.

What to do: Plan ahead for a safe ride home with a sober driver — even if you’ve only had one drink. A sober driver is one who hasn’t had anything to drink, not the one who has had the least to drink.

If you’re hosting a party, ensure that designated drivers have access to plenty of non-alcoholic beverages. Don’t let your friends drive drunk. Take away their keys, and make arrangements for them to get home safely or put them up for the night.

If you see a drunken driver on the road, pull over and call 911.

The NHTSA also has a list of summer driving tips, including a checklist to ensure the vehicle is in top working order.

Hot Cars

As of June 10, 2025, there have been 1,016 pediatric vehicular heat stroke deaths since counting began in 1998. On average, 38 kids a year die in hot cars. It can happen in under 10 minutes, experts say.

What to do: Take the time to educate yourself to understand better how parents and others can forget their kids are in cars — it happens to the best of parents and, according to experts, is most often unintentional. NHTSA offers these tips:

• Never leave a child or pet inside a vehicle unattended — even if the windows are partially open or the engine is running, and the air conditioning is on.

• Make it a habit to check your entire vehicle — front and back — before locking the door and walking away. Train yourself to “park, look, lock,” or always ask yourself, “Where's baby?”

• Ask your child care provider to call if your child doesn’t show up for care as expected.

• Place a personal item, such as a purse or briefcase in the back seat, as another reminder to look before you lock. Write a note or place a stuffed animal in the passenger's seat to remind you that a child is in the back seat.

• Store car keys out of a child's reach, and teach children that a vehicle is not a play area. A quarter of all hot car deaths occur because the child got into an unlocked car, not because a parent left them inside, according to the NHTSA.