Preparing Your Family for an Emergency
While California and earthquakes are commonly associated, our state is also prone to other natural disasters such as wildfires, floods, and landslides. Accordingly, preparing for this broad variety of disasters is essential. September is National Preparedness Month, and it is important to remember that family members of all ages can participate in disaster preparedness, including creating a family disaster plan and building a disaster supply kit. It is always valuable to have family members involved in the preparedness process, as this level of awareness can help everyone remember vital emergency information. It is also important to prepare your children by talking with them about what the risks are and what your family will do if disaster strikes. Here is a handy collection of resources to assist you in these discussions with children and teens.
Created to help reduce risks and protect lives, the How to Craft Safety Project is a collection of videos based on ideas from Japanese residents after the major 2011 earthquake in Japan. These ideas are practical and straightforward designs that can be crafted from common household items once your family is safe in the event of a disaster. The series can be viewed on the following websites: NHK, YouTube, and Facebook. Sample ideas include:
· Life Jacket from water bottles
· Oil Lamp Cooker from aluminum can
Movies can be another engaging way to learn about natural disasters. Some good films to inspire preparedness among older family members might include the following titles, available on DVD or through Hoopla:
· Collision Earth (NR): A giant asteroid threatens to destroy Earth after military protocols designed to stop the impact fail.
· Geostorm (PG-13): After an unprecedented series of natural disasters threatened the planet, it's a race against time to uncover the cause before a worldwide geostorm wipes out everything.
· San Andreas (PG-13): When a magnitude nine earthquake leaves California in ruins, a helicopter pilot and his estranged wife make their way to San Francisco to save their only daughter.
· Twister (PG-13): Scientists pursue the most destructive weather front to sweep through mid-America's Tornado Alley in fifty years.
· Hurricane on the Bayou (NR): This documentary takes viewers on a breathtaking tour of the Louisiana bayou. Experience a place overflowing with life, love, music, natural beauty--and hurricanes. This film offers a sweeping portrayal of Hurricane Katrina--and how wildlife and citizens came together after the tragedy to rebuild.
We hope these resources will inspire your family to get prepared and stay safe in any situation.