By Jesus Garcia, Special Assistant, Office of Public Affairs
My summers as a kid in rural South Texas consisted of long, hot and dry days. There wasn’t much to do while school was out in my border town of Brownsville.
So when a tropical depression, tropical storm or hurricane was spotted in the Atlantic Ocean, I’d rush out to my grocery store to get a free hurricane tracking map provided by our local T.V. station. Every night, I would religiously jot down storm coordinates shared by the weatherman.
Rather than being afraid of an approaching storm, it became a learning experience. I got to learn about other places, how to read maps and understand weather terms. Plus, I knew that I would be safe. If a dangerous storm would hit my city, I knew my family would protect me.
- My older sister was familiar with local shelters.
- My dad knew how to board up our windows and doors to prevent damage to our home.
- My mom bought enough food and medicine to hold us over for a week or two.
Another reason I wasn’t traumatized during these storms was because I knew my family would end up at a shelter with relatives — an unexpected family reunion! The adults provided enough activities to keep my cousins and me focused on each other and not on the dangers happening outside.
My parents knew a thing or two about dealing with children during disasters. It’s comforting to know that some of their approaches for emergency preparedness are seen in today’s recommendations by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Making difficult situations easy on children is important. Although reactions to disasters are brief, some children can be at risk for enduring psychological distress if they experience:
- Direct exposure to disaster
- Death or serious injury to family member or friend
- On-going stress
Become familiar on ways to minimize the trauma children face during a disaster. Before the storm, teach your children about preparing the family, and include them in planning and preparing. Talk to them about:
- What goes in a family’s Emergency Kit
- How family members can stay in touch with an Emergency Communications Plan
Reassuring a kid’s safety goes along way for a little person.
At the Administration for Children and Families, we work with our programs to help get our partners ready for a disaster. From preparing early childhood development programs, to working with youth through disasters to assisting policy makers, we play an important role in getting the message out.
Taking the lead at our agency is the Office of Human Services Emergency Preparedness and Response (OHSEPR). Since 2011, OHSEPR has provided expertise in human services preparedness, response and recovery in more than 40 disasters and emergency events.
OHSEPR also encourages parents build emergency kits and set up communications plans. In order to make the recovery process easier, don’t forget take important documents with you like insurance policies, birth certificates and bank account information.
For more information on emergency preparedness, visit www.ready.gov .