<p>This study aims to analyze the relationships between environmental catastrophes in Rio Grande do Sul (South Brazil), social responsibility, environmental awareness, environmental impacts, and mitigation of environmental damage. The theoretical framework of this article is measured by four research hypotheses, which list the themes of environmental catastrophe with social responsibility, environmental awareness, environmental impacts, and mitigation of environmental damage. The research is classified as quantitative and descriptive and was conducted through a survey applied to 556 people living in areas affected by the environmental catastrophe, using questionnaires. For data analysis, several statistical tests were employed, along with confirmatory factor analysis and multiple linear regression. It was proven that all constructs presented a high total explained variance, that is, above 50%, with emphasis on the construct of environmental impacts with 69.51%%. Regarding the research hypotheses, the four hypotheses were confirmed, with emphasis on H3: Environmental catastrophe is positively related to environmental impacts, which presented the highest percentage, with a moderate intensity of influence (32.4%). It is well known that environmental catastrophes are significantly influenced by the population’s lifestyle. However, the costs of post-disaster reconstruction are significantly higher than those required to prevent and prepare cities and populations. In this sense, governments need to be more proactive, and the population needs to have more sustainable consumption in order to avoid polluting the environment.</p>