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Disaster Preparedness for Children

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Earthquakes... Tornadoes... Fires... Floods... Hurricanes... Hazardous Materials Spills...
Disasters may strike quickly and without warning. These events can be frightening for adults—but they are traumatic for children if they don't know what to do.

During a disaster, your family may have to leave your home and daily routine. Children may become anxious, confused or frightened.

As an adult, it’s important to:

  • Cope in a way that helps children avoid a permanent sense of loss
  • Provide guidance to help reduce their fears

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross prepared this material to help you help your children cope. Use these suggestions as guidelines, while deciding what’s best for your family.

Children and Their Response to Disaster

Children depend on daily routines: They wake up, eat breakfast, go to school, play with friends. When emergencies or disasters interrupt this routine, children may become anxious. They will look to you and other adults for help.

What to Keep in Mind:

  • Your reaction gives children clues on how to feel
    • If you react with alarm ➞ they may become more scared
    • If you seem overwhelmed ➞ they may feel the loss more strongly
  • Children’s fears may come from imagination - take them seriously
  • Offer a realistic but manageable picture of what’s happening
  • Reassure with your words and actions

Feelings of fear are healthy and natural for adults and children. But as an adult, you need to keep control of the situation. When you're sure that danger has passed, concentrate on your child's emotional needs by asking the child what's uppermost in his or her mind. Having children participate in the family's recovery activities will help them feel that their life will return to "normal." Your response during this time may have a lasting impact.

Common Post-Disaster Fears in Children

Children may fear:

  • The event will happen again
  • Someone will be injured or killed
  • Being separated from family
  • Being left alone

A Child's Reaction to Disaster By Age

The stress caused by a disaster can affect children more than anyone, according to mental health experts. Anxiety results from the loss of possessions, disruption to family life and a sense of a hostile world created by disaster. Parents are urged to be alert to signs of trouble such as the following:

  • Children five or younger: Watch for such behaviors as crying more than usual, clinging, nightmares, excessive fear of the dark or of animals or of being alone, changing appetites, or returning to outgrown behaviors such as bed-wetting or thumb-sucking.
  • Children age 5-11: May show anxiety, irritability or aggression and competition with siblings for parents' attention. They may whine, withdraw from peers or lose interest in normal activities.
  • Children age 11-18: May show outright rebellion, physical problems, apathy or sleep disturbance.

Advice to Parents

Four Simple Steps:

  1. Learn what hazards exist in your community and how to prepare
  2. Meet with your family to discuss response plans for each situation
  3. Prepare by:
    • Posting emergency numbers
    • Selecting an out-of-state contact
    • Assembling disaster kits for each household member
    • Installing smoke detectors on each level
  4. Practice the plan so everyone remembers what to do

Teaching Your Children How to Call for Help

  • Teach your child how and when to call for help
  • Post emergency phone numbers near all phones
  • If you live in a 9-1-1 area, teach your child to call 9-1-1
  • If not, refer to the local directory for correct numbers

Teach Children Key Safety Skills

Teach your child how to recognize danger signals. Make sure your child knows what smoke detectors, fire alarms and local community warning systems (horns, sirens) sound like.

Explain how to call for help. Teach your child how and when to call for help. Check the telephone directory for local emergency phone numbers and post these phone numbers by all telephones. If you live in a 9-1-1 service area, tell your child to call 9-1-1.

Help your child memorize important family information. Children should memorize their family name, address and phone number. They should also know where to meet in case of an emergency. Some children may not be old enough to memorize the information. They should carry a small index card that lists emergency information to give to an adult or babysitter.

After The Disaster: Time For Recovery

Reduce Fear & Anxiety

  • Keep the family together (avoid leaving kids with others if possible)
  • Explain the situation calmly and clearly at the child’s eye level
    • Example: "Tonight, we will all stay together in the shelter."

Encourage Open Discussion

  • Let children talk and ask questions
  • Include the whole family in discussions about the disaster

Involve Children in Recovery

  • Assign age-appropriate chores
    • This gives them purpose and shows that life will return to normal
  • Reassure with firmness and love.

If your child doesn’t respond to these steps, consider reaching out to a mental health specialist or clergy member.

This information was obtained from the American Red Cross (ARC) pamphlet ARC 4499.