Tornado season is nothing new to those of us who have lived in the Kansas City area. Many of us spent our evening huddled in our safe places – a basement, a bathroom, or other room at a low, interior point in our homes.
Everyone can use a refresher on how to navigate severe weather seasons safely.
Steps for Keeping Your Family Safe During Severe Weather
- Build an emergency kit and include your child in the process. You can find tips for what to include in that kit here. Have your kiddos help you in the process. Let them pick their socks and shoes or their stuffed animal or blanket. This process is necessary in the event that something catastrophic does happen, but it can also be helpful in remaining calm during the storm. Knowing that you’re ready can bring some peace of mind. Reminding your kiddos that you’re ready can help keep them calm, too.
- Educate yourself! You need to know the difference between a Tornado Watch and a Tornado Warning. You need to know where to go in your home. You can learn more about what you need to know and resources for where to find more information here.
- Educate your kids. It can be really helpful to educate your kids, too. But, as with everything in parenting, it is important to find the balance between explaining the important things and not overwhelming thee kids! Tornados are scary, so information overload can be, too! Our local meteorologists do a great job of addressing kids and putting things in simple terms during their broadcasts. You can even chat with your schools about requesting visits from meteorologists for some fun school programing! Check out your local library for resources that are age appropriate and informative! I haven’t read this book, but it popped up during a quick search on books for small children and I’ll definitely be adding it to our reading list!
- Stay informed and up to date! Smart phones are so helpful for this! Our local news teams post updates on social media at regular intervals. There are fantastic apps that you can download to alert you to risks in your area. My new favorite is the Tornado app from Red Cross. Stay informed, not just during a tornado emergency, but at all times during storm season. Some apps make it as simple as setting your location so that it will alert you of a threat in your area. You could set it and forget it.
- Do your best to stay calm. Or, fake it for the kids. You set the tone for your family! And, when I panic, so do they! I distracted my kids with the blankets from our emergency kit, and they built forts as we waited out the storm. Other moms from our team let their kiddos watch movies or eat an ice cream picnic. If you’ve followed the tips above, you are as prepared as you can be and your family should be as safe as possible during the storm.
