Floods are devastating to the homes and businesses of their victims, but many people don’t think about the dangers these natural disasters pose to children. When your home floods, if you don’t have the necessary supplies in place, you may not have the means to keep your kids safe from harm as they play and explore the ravaged area around your house. To protect your family from flood damage, you should take time to evaluate what you have and stock up on items that will help keep your kids safe as well as comfortable during this difficult time.
What to look out for
Flooding, along with heavy rainfall and strong winds, can cause excessive amounts of rain water or snow melt. It is important to be alert when flood warnings are issued in your area and be prepared by following these tips
Make an Evacuation Plan
Preparing an evacuation plan can help ensure the safety of your children during a disaster. In order to do this, consider the following steps.
-Inventory all toys, books, clothes and other items you might need in an emergency. Store them somewhere easy for you and your kids to access during a crisis.
-Pick one place outside the house where it would be safe for your family if they had to evacuate.
Keep it Simple
When there is a flood, our natural instinct as parents is to keep our children safe. To do this, here are a few simple things that you can do: Keep them away from the flood-prone areas; Keep them away in higher ground (but don’t make it a hard rule because they may feel trapped); Keep them sheltered indoors (i.e.
Prepare Older Children For the Worst
- Give your child permission to explore their thoughts and feelings
- Tell them that they are not the only ones who are going through a tough time, everyone is scared
- Help your child build up their coping skills 4. Be honest about the dangers, answer all their questions and don’t sugar coat anything 5. Reassure them that you will be with them every step of the way
Discuss, Discuss, Discuss
Flooding is a terrifying disaster that can strike anytime, anywhere. Unfortunately, flooding in Pakistan has been a devastating problem for decades and relief efforts have been difficult because the Pakistani government was not very proactive with its preventive measures. Nevertheless, there are things you can do to prepare for a flood as well as take precautionary measures if it does happen again in the future.
