10 year old TERRIFIED of tornado

[Anonymous]

Teaching moment- discuss the differences between a Great Plains tornado and one that occurs here. Two different scenarios.

[Anonymous]

My 11yo was a little freaked out about it. I told him that there was a 10% chance that someone in the broader area might get a tornado, which is still pretty small, and that the odds that it would be where our house was were even smaller. That seemed to do the trick.

[Anonymous]

You plan best you can. If you have a basement assure her that you will all just go there to ride out the storm if there is a warning. And there will be a warning. We have much much better weather measurement and planning than they did in the time they movie is portraying. .

[Anonymous]

I am concerned. I brought everything that could fly around on the porches inside or put it away. I charged everything. The prospect of high winds and 60 mph gusts are bad enough!
It's a good time to review home and family emergency plans, shelter in place, supplies and water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:good time to go over emergency procedures, preparedness, disaster response.

This. And to teach your kid to recognize foolish decisions—like telling kids to leave safe buildings to get into busses and cars. Explain how to asses risk smartly, and what to do in a real emergency.

[Anonymous]

Talk about preparedness: identify the safest spaces in your home as well as alternatives if you were not at home. Also reassure her that while tornadoes and other extreme weather events are possible in this area, they are incredibly rare. Let her talk about or write about or do artwork if she’d like that. And, if you have any comforting stories, then share them with her.

As a child, I remember cuddling with my Dad on our upstairs back porch during summer thunderstorms. The storms raged (relatively speaking) outside, while my Dad and I were safe and comfortable inside. I also remember a blackout that happened just after our popcorn popper popped the last few kernels in the batch. We sat out on the front porch, as other families did, and munched popcorn, then we kids played games like tag while our parents chatted nearby on their porches. So, while the parents may have had their worries, there were things that they did that made these events seem calm and even enjoyable for the kids.

[Anonymous]

I grew up in tornado alley. I definitely have a healthy respect for tornados but I don’t live in fear, because I was taught tornado safety. Pay attention to warnings, get as much protection as possible as low as possible, if nothing else is available, lay flat in a ditch and cover your neck. When I was young, I “sheltered” in storm cellars, interior closets, bathtubs covered by a mattress, and school hallways in the duck and cover position. In none of those cases, even though there were active tornados in the area, were any of those precautions put to the test, because the area they actually affect is relatively small. Most watches won’t ever turn into warnings, and most warnings won’t hurt anyone.

Here’s some websites about tornado safety that provide more detailed information.
https://www.weather.gov/safety/tornado-ww

https://www.ready.gov/tornadoes

Although official watches and warnings are by far the most reliable and effective cautions, it might be comforting to her to be aware of the physical signs that a tornado is imminent. Even if no signs are observed, it’s important to take shelter when so advised, but once sheltered, I wouldn’t worry unless I noticed other signs. There are several, but the ones I think are most noticeable are the incredible stillness and the eerie pressure in the air. Here’s a state website that talks about some of the signs of a tornado.
https://www.readync.gov/stay-informed/north-carolina-hazards/tornadoes#Before-140

Also, I realize she’s focused on tornadoes, but once you’ve talked about safety and made your preparations (identified your place of shelter, made sure your phone is charged, checked your flashlight’s batteries, etc.), try to distract her and get her mind on other things if you can. If possible, you want to break her out of her spiral where she’s working herself up more and deepening her fear.

————————
While I’m not especially afraid pf tornados, everyone gets scared sometimes. Aside from your daughter’s specific tornado panic, she needs to be taught some general strategies for dealing with fear. In case it might be helpful, what I’ve found most effective for me, personally, is to rely on my faith. I remember the Bible verse Psalm 27:1 - “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” and then I pray for protection and courage. I realize this method may not be helpful to those who don’t share my faith, but share whatever sources of comfort and courage you draw strength from with your daughter.

[Anonymous]

Remind her that:

1. In places like DC, tornadoes are incredibly rare. They almost never happen and, chances are, we will not see any.

2. In many other places, tornadoes are common and people who are used to them don't necessarily think about that all that much. Some people, in places like Missouri and Oklahoma, even get in their cars and chase them because they are cool to look at!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Remind her that:

1. In places like DC, tornadoes are incredibly rare. They almost never happen and, chances are, we will not see any.

2. In many other places, tornadoes are common and people who are used to them don't necessarily think about that all that much. Some people, in places like Missouri and Oklahoma, even get in their cars and chase them because they are cool to look at!

#2, while true, doesn’t mean it’s advisable. Please don’t tell your daughter about people jumping in cars to chase tornadoes. Lots of people do stupid things everywhere, because they think it’s cool. Most people who live where tornadoes are common have more sense. The fact is that a cloud can spawn more than one tornado, so while you think you’re safely chasing one tornado, another may suddenly drop without warning where you are.

[Anonymous]

Is anyone feeling like an idiot yet?

[Anonymous]

I got a bit of a complex after watching Twister as a kid (we did also live in tornado alley at the time). My parents helped me out by walking through our tornado safety plan. We did have some tornadoes come through our town but they ended up not doing as much damage.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Remind her that:

1. In places like DC, tornadoes are incredibly rare. They almost never happen and, chances are, we will not see any.

2. In many other places, tornadoes are common and people who are used to them don't necessarily think about that all that much. Some people, in places like Missouri and Oklahoma, even get in their cars and chase them because they are cool to look at!

#2, while true, doesn’t mean it’s advisable. Please don’t tell your daughter about people jumping in cars to chase tornadoes. Lots of people do stupid things everywhere, because they think it’s cool. Most people who live where tornadoes are common have more sense. The fact is that a cloud can spawn more than one tornado, so while you think you’re safely chasing one tornado, another may suddenly drop without warning where you are.

I think you're missing the point. The idea here is that lots of people who are used to tornadoes don't consider them particularly scary. I don't anyone needs to worry about anyone chasing tornadoes in DC because 1. we get about 1 tornado every 25 years and 2. with our traffic, no one can chase anything.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone feeling like an idiot yet?

No, not at all. I’d rather be reasonably prepared for a crisis that doesn’t happen — than have a crisis happen that I’m not prepared for.

Hurricane Isabel, the derecho, and the very unexpected DC earthquake support this philosophy.

[Anonymous]

They ARE terrifying! Nothing like being under the stairs (we have no basement) for hours at night with a helmet on your heads praying it's not coming your way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They ARE terrifying! Nothing like being under the stairs (we have no basement) for hours at night with a helmet on your heads praying it's not coming your way.

Except this is Virginia and that doesn’t happen here.