How to Prepare Kids for a Natural Disaster

With Hurricane Florence pummeling the North and South Carolina coastline, it’s a good time to think about how kids react to natural disasters—and how we can prepare them to weather the storms. No matter where you live, chances are you and your family will be impacted by a natural disaster: hurricanes, tornadoes, derechos, mudslides, earthquakes and wildfires are happening all over the United States and the world. Smartphones and social media means we hear about these disasters as they happen, and that means our kids do too.

In this week’s video blog, I give parents six simple steps to help prepare kids for a natural disaster.

1. Tell them only what they need to know.
2. Involve them in the preparation.
3. Review your family emergency plan.
4. Show them where the emergency supplies are kept.
5. Remind them that God is in control.
6. Stay calm yourself.

For ways that kids can help in the aftermath of a natural disaster, read “Even kids can have a role in helping after natural disasters.”

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