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METRO KIDS LEARN ABOUT WEATHER PHENOMENA AT SCIENCE MUSEUM OKLAHOMA.
If your home doesn’t have a storm shelter, locate the most interior room in your house with no windows. Have helmets and other safety gear at the ready and utilize a mattress or cushions to cover yourself if you can. If you do have a shelter, be sure to have it fully stocked with necessities. This includes water and food (for yourself and your pets), flashlights, batteries and a NOAA Weather Radio, at minimum. Dr. Erica Faulconer, pediatrician at Northwest Pediatrics in Oklahoma City, recommends empowering kids with a task both in planning for and during severe weather. “Giving kids a job — being in charge of the emergency radio or packing a bag of snacks — takes their mind off the danger,” said Faulconer. “Practice your severe weather plan ahead of time to reduce anxiety. Kids know the potential is there but they also know what they’re going to do if severe weather happens.” Keep cell phones fully charged during high- risk days and stay in contact with friends and family. Register your storm shelter
with your local jurisdiction so emergency personnel will be able to locate you if necessary. If you live in Oklahoma County, visit docs.oklahomacounty.org/sheriff/ stormshelter/. Also, most city websites provide options to register storm shelters. Ensure the whole family is wearing sturdy shoes, and while Faulconer says helmets aren’t typically necessary, she’s realized wearing them helps her children feel safer. She calls establishing that security 90 percent of her job as a mom during severe weather. Calm anxieties For little ones, it can be helpful to read a book to calm weather anxieties. Storms frequently occur in the afternoon or evening, coinciding with bedtime. Reading may help soothe worries and keep routines consistent. Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco tells the story of a young girl terrified by thunderstorms who overcomes her fears while gathering ingredients to bake a cake with her grandmother. After reading this
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