Family Disaster Preparedness By J. Elizabeth Phillips, Urban Regional Extension Agent, Mobile County

Alabama families enjoy both the benefits and threats of living in a temperate southeastern climate where nature provides year-round access to outdoor living, as well as occasional storms that threaten lives and property.

Last year's Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on Alabama's Gulf Coast region with major flooding and wind damage. Portions of the port city of Mobile went under water and the small fishing village of Bayou La Batre was devastated by the storm surge. Atmore, Alabama and other areas north of the coast suffered intensive tornado and wind damage due to Katrina. The storm proved that counties north of the Gulf of Mexico are not immune from the residual effects of a major hurricane after it makes landfall.

Lessons learned from Katrina are emerging in families throughout the state. Experts and relief agencies alike are urging a renewed focus on the importance of having a family safety and evacuation plan. Families can access a multitude of high quality Internet resources to gain knowledge on how to prepare for approaching storms. These resources may be accessed from home, business, or public library computers across the state.

The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Extension) provides Alabama citizens with an excellent online resource called Alabama EDEN (Extension Disaster Education Network). Extension's Urban Affairs Unit offers disaster preparedness through its Saving Towns Thru Asset Revitalization program where residents can access storm preparation tips and become aware of the importance of developing a family plan. For a copy of the program brochure, visit: www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/U/UNP-0071/UNP-0071.pdf.

Max Mayfield, the current director of the National Hurricane Center, stated that, "preparation through education is less costly than learning through tragedy." The National Weather Service provides a number of storm-related preparation advisories for tropical storm, tornado, hurricane, or thunderstorm conditions. Families can log-on the site for comprehensive hurricane awareness information where experts have prepared English and Spanish responses to such important questions as:

What are hurricane hazards?
What does this mean to you?
What actions should you take to be prepared?

Children can be especially hard hit by the confusion and anxiety associated with the disruptions and threats of storms. Audience-specific information is available for children through the American Red Cross website. Parents and adults can have special influence in working with children as a storm approaches. By calmly and firmly explaining the situation, you can provide a sense of safety as children come to understand that their parents, family, friends, and pets are considered in the family's safety and evacuation plan. Letting children know what will happen next, such as informing them about evacuation, can prompt their cooperation in the plan.

Parents and adults should encourage children to talk and express how they feel about the approaching storm and the family plan. After the storm, include your children in the recovery activities to help them feel valued rather than in the way during the aftermath. Under the Parents and Teachers section at www.ready.gov/kids, you will find activities developed especially for children. Or try visiting the publications section on the Red Cross site at www.redcross.org/pubs/dspubs/childmatls.html.

National Disaster Education Coalition

Red Cross

Weather Information Sources

EDEN

Federal Emergency Management Agency

Homeland Security

The Disaster Handbook

Alabama Homeland Security

Alabama Department of Public Safety

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