If you live in a coastal area that is prone to tropical storms and
hurricanes, it’s imperative that you learn to quickly and efficiently respond
when severe weather strikes. When you’re responsible for the health and safety
of children, emergency preparedness becomes even more of a priority. In order
to ensure that everyone in your household, including the youngest members of
the family, are coached on proper hurricane preparation and are protected as
much as possible, it’s wise to make sure that you’re familiar with the
following concepts.
Explain What a
Hurricane Is
For younger children or those that have never experienced a hurricane
first hand, it’s essential to help them understand what a hurricane is and why
it’s important that they adhere to the safety guidelines you’ve put in place.
Being under the misconception that a hurricane is just a high-powered
thunderstorm could cause them to take the situation less seriously than they
should, which could result in the children behaving recklessly or disregarding
safety rules.
Be Honest
Without Causing Alarm
To keep kids from behaving in an unsafe manner due to a fundamental misunderstanding
about what a hurricane is, it’s very important that you’re honest and to the
point when you discuss the matter with them. However, it’s neither wise nor
necessary to phrase your explanations in a way that alarms them or causes them
to become excessively afraid. Managing the natural fears that will accompany
the worst part of the storm could be difficult enough for particularly
sensitive children; adding to that anxiety with a needlessly frightening
explanation will almost always be more harmful than helpful.
Talk About
Evacuation Routes
Should your household be evacuated, it’s necessary for everyone in the
family to be intimately acquainted with an agreed-upon evacuation route. This
is especially important if you find yourselves separated, so that each member
of the household knows where to go in order to be reunited.
Stock Up on
Disaster Supplies
Living in an area that’s prone to hurricanes will require you to maintain
a constant supply of survival supplies in the event of a disaster. Ideally,
that kit will include enough non-perishable food and water to last the entire
family for three to five days, a manual can opener, a battery-powered radio and
a flashlight with an ample supply of batteries, as well as a well-stocked first
aid kit.
Talk About When
to Call 911
Kids should be coached long before an emergency occurs on the appropriate
times to call emergency services. In the event of a catastrophic weather event,
it’s important to avoid backing up the system with non-essential calls, but
it’s equally as important to know when a situation is a legitimate emergency
deserving of an emergency phone call. Explaining to kids when they should call
911 and how to proceed while on the phone with emergency services can mean the
difference between surviving a storm as a whole family unit and a tragedy.
Work Out a
Communication Plan
Cell phone towers, electricity and other modern forms of communication
may be limited due to storm damage, so it’s essential that everyone in the
family, including caregivers and extended family in the area, have an
agreed-upon system for communication should you be separated. Designating a
friend or family member who lives well outside the danger area for hurricane
damage as a liaison for communicating and facilitating reunion is wise.
Teach Kids to
Shut off Utilities
In some cases, you may be required to shut off utility lines that supply
natural gas, water and other resources to your home. Though kids should not be
forced to manage these tasks on their own when there’s a capable adult to carry
them out, they should still be instructed regarding the proper procedure for
doing so to prevent dangerous conditions if an adult is injured, unresponsive
or separated from them. Make sure that you walk through the process of shutting
these utilities off regularly, and that you educate the kids on the signs that
indicate when doing so is necessary.
Explain the
Importance of Resource Conservation
Preserving perishables during a storm can be difficult, especially if
electricity service is suspended for an extended period of time. Knowing how to
pack a refrigerator and freezer with ice to maintain a safe temperature, being
aware that you should refrain from opening them unless it’s absolutely
necessary, and acknowledging how important it is to conserve the resources in
your survival kit are all essential things to teach even the youngest member of
the family. The novelty of using flashlights, survival-kit food and
battery-powered supplies can cause kids to be a bit wasteful of those
resources, which could be disastrous if it takes longer to receive aid than you
planned for.
Source: Summer Nannies
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