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Preparing Preschoolers for Oklahoma Weather: Tornadoes

By Joanna Young

As Oklahomans, we’ve grown accustomed to the familiar testing of the Saturday noon tornado sirens. But when those same sirens resound through the city on another day, we get a little freaked out. If we, as parents, feel apprehensive when a severe storm or tornado approaches the area, imagine how our preschoolers feel.

April and May are the two months with the most tornado activity in Oklahoma. As this season approaches, we are wise to educate ourselves and our preschoolers in severe weather preparedness.

Prepare Yourself

If you’ve lived in Oklahoma for very long, you’re probably already well aware of the dangers of tornadoes and the safety measures that should be taken. But whether you’re well acquainted with twisters or you’re a tornado newbie, it’s best to educate yourself. Knowledge is the first step in easing tornado anxiety for yourself and your preschooler.

DisasterCenter.com is an excellent resource, providing awareness information including the cause of tornadoes, tornado safety plans, children and tornadoes, protecting your property, the difference between a tornado watch and tornado warning, and addresses some tornado myths. Another excellent resource is FEMA’s tornado information page which includes tornado facts, terminology, and what to do before, during, and after a tornado strikes.

Prepare Your Preschooler

While we don’t want to scare our preschoolers, we do want to prepare them. Teaching our children about the causes and dangers of severe storms and tornadoes will help them understand what’s happening and how to stay safe.

A great resource for older preschoolers is FEMA for Kids, providing videos, photos, and interactive games and information pages that will educate and entertain. Children’s books are also very effective tools for teaching preschoolers about tornadoes. Twisters: A Book About Tornadoes (Picture Window Books) by Rick Thomas is a colorful picture book that tells about tornadoes and how they form. Another great book is Farmer Brown Goes Round and Round (Dorling Kindersley Publishing) by Teri Sloat. Though more entertaining than educational, this book makes an excellent diversion for preschoolers while hiding in a closet or basement during a tornado.

Prepare Your Home

Enlist your preschooler’s help in creating a tornado safety plan for your home and family. The American Red Cross’ tornado page offers tips and information on tornado safety plans. Following these tips and guidelines, you and your preschooler can put together a first aid kit, disaster supplies kit, and gather objects such as pillows, blankets, socks, helmets, and other items to be placed in your tornado safe room, closet, or basement.

By preparing yourself, your preschooler, and your home for facing a potentially dangerous tornado, you’re preparing your family for safety and peace of mind.