Preparing Your Kids For Summer Storms

I love summer, for our family it is a time of long hot days and fun family vacations, but the summer months can also bring violent and unpredictable weather. Our family has been in hurricanes, tornadoes, sudden downpours and hailstorms and we have finally learned how to prepare. This year, after going through a major property restoration due to storm damage, we decided to plan and prepare our home and kids ahead of time for an emergency.

One of the best things our property restoration company, Restoration 1, suggested we do was to create a Storm Emergency Kit, and this fall we did exactly that. We turned this idea into a family project. Each of the kids had been given a closed lid box from Hobby Lobby and we got to work. Their emergency kits were decorated by each and included basic medical supplies, a few days’ worth of food and water rations and other things they each thought they may need if we had to leave our home quickly. Instead of keeping our emergency kits in the trunk of our car, we decided to keep them in shelves by the front door, where it would be easy to grab if we needed to evacuate the property.

Be Creative With Your Emergency Kit

Creating the emergency kit is important, and it was fun, but it was only part of our preparation. It was also important for our family to know what to do in case of emergency. We decided to run regular drills to help ensure everyone will be ready to go if the worst happens and we needed to leave our home. We also created a certificate for the little ones that certified that they were “Storm Ready” We live in a part of the country that is prone to tornadoes, so we thought that running regular tornado drills with our family would be one of the best ways to keep them safe. Just knowing that every member of our family can make it to the safe room or the car within minutes gave us real peace of mind.

After being in a major storm and having to go through all the stress of being a family displaced, I can only tell you that being prepared for the unforeseen is the way to go. Those regular evacuation and safety drills will help prepare your family too.

Pick a Meeting Spot

A couple of things to think of, if an evacuation is called, and not everyone is home, you should have a set location where everyone is going to meet. We chose the local community center. If family members are unable to make it to the chosen spot, they should contact you and check in. Having a communication plan in place can also gave us peace of mind and made us feel prepared in the event of an emergency.

No plan is foolproof but having a well-thought out emergency program in place can help you weather those summer storms and keep your family safe too. Thinking ahead and planning for the worst can protect your family and let you get on with enjoying all that summer has to offer.

Let me know, have you ever been caught in a storm unprepared? Share it with me.