Hurricane Katrina has gotten me thinking about how important disaster preparedness is, for both governments and individuals. While it’s clear the government has some improvements to make, they are not things that most of us can make happen immediately. (Though if you feel so inclined, you can write to your elected officials about such matters.) What we can do immediately, however, is make sure our families have personal plans for dealing with disasters that are likely to strike our particular areas, and educate our children appropriately. Here are some resources:
The National Weather Service has a page with links to weather safety and preparedness information for a variety of weather conditions.
FEMA has several Preparedness Guides, including ones on preparing a disaster plan and kit, helping children cope with disaster, and preparing for people with disabilities and other special needs. (Regardless of what you may think of FEMA’s response to Hurricane Katrina, they do offer some useful advice.) FEMA also has many kid-oriented resources at FEMA for Kids.
The U. S. Fire Administration has a site on home fire safety and a site of kids’ resources.