Flooding and other disasters aren’t just an adult problem – they affect children too. As with all emergencies, the best approach is to involve children (at an age appropriate level) in getting prepared.
There are many resources available online to help children and their families prepare for an emergency, such as flooding. FEMA’s Ready Kids takes children through a step-by-step process to know the facts, make a plan, build an emergency kit and then graduate from “Readiness U.” It provides topics to discuss at family meetings, such as how family members will get in touch with each other if separated during an emergency. The site also includes games and fun activities to initiate discussion and answer questions.
Discovery Education has a site on emergency preparedness for teachers, students and families, complete with a map to track severe weather. It has a downloadable emergency plan worksheet and supply kit checklist and videos classified by grade level about extreme weather and emergency planning.
For younger children, Sesame Street has Let’s Get Ready!, another emergency planning site. It covers important things that even young children should know, such as their parents’ full names, addresses and phone numbers. According to Grover, preparing for a large-scale emergency is no different than preparing for other potentially dangerous activities, like riding a bicycle. If it makes sense to wear a helmet, it makes sense to develop an emergency plan.
Is your family ready for flooding or other disasters? Putting together an emergency plan and kit is a great way to prepare your children (and yourself) for the unexpected.
Make Flood Solutions’ FEMA compliant flood vents part of your flood preparation plans. Contact Flood Solutions to learn more.
