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Natural disaster planning - how to involve children.

Updated: Mar 28, 2023

Please read the official information at https://www.getready.qld.gov.au/. The following is information based on my own experience and reading over the last 10 to 15 years.


Kids are often the last we think of when it comes to emergencies. I don't mean their safety, I mean how we handle their wellbeing prior, during and after.


Kids are sponges, they take in everything. Cyclones tend to have a long lead time meaning that we know several days to a week in advance that a cyclone is forming and a possible threat.


Prior to event

Stay informed but not glued to the media. The media including social media focus on fear as a means of raising audience. Heightened sense of fear can lead to mental health issues down the track. Limit your intake days before, ensure you break down the information into facts.

Charge your phones to allow for SMS emergency messages, and to listen to local radio for specific official warnings. Have a battery held radio as back up. These can be rechargeable by winding and can in turn charge mobile devices. Remember the internet may not be available during an event, radio might be your best option.


Check the region Dashboard website for the local emergency communication procedures. They are likely to be SMS but check regardless and be aware of what messages you may see. Don't wait till the event to decipher what they mean.


QLD Dashboard of all dashboards:

https://www.qld.gov.au/community/disasters-emergencies/disasters/resources-translations/local-government-disaster-dashboards

Ensure your evacuation plan is up to date with documentation and quick access to the important things you need to take with you are accessible. Turn things into a game for the kids, such as jamming as many towels under doors as you can.

Have snacks and water available to get through the kids hunger pangs. Non-perishable snacks because you maybe without power for a while.




During event

There is a level of uncertainty with when to enact parts of your plan, however be sure to enact your plan when required.


It may not work for everyone but for us we played several games by torchlight. This broke up the time so you were not constantly radar watching or reading about other people's circumstances.

  • I spy

  • Puzzles

  • Where's Wally book

  • Simon says

  • Charades

  • Lego (Be careful, they breed at night)

  • Jenga

After event

Ensure the event is done, cyclones have an eye where winds are calm until the otherside of the eye wall arrives.

Ensure the event is done, cyclones have an eye where winds are calm until the otherside of the eye wall arrives.






Check the yard for danger before allowing the kids outside. There are likely to be hidden dangers like power down in water, waterlogged trees that may fall, branches that may have snapped and not yet fallen.




Again stay away from too much media, specially showing damage and injury as kids will worry about friends, and we know that the media will find one tree down to represent an entire region.

Take care of your family prior, during and after the event. Your kids are like water markers of events, the mental health issues may not show up straight away. While you cannot and should not hide them from everything, you can be selective for your own ears and eyes.


All the information you need is at https://www.getready.qld.gov.au/


Tuesdays riddle

Unless you are wearing some gloves

Im not something you want to hold

Because Im whats put in your glass

In order to keep your drink cold

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