LEARN HOW TO PREPARE FOR EMERGENCIES WITH THESE
FUN activities
Are you ready for the emergency preparedness training challenge? See if you can complete all eleven activities! CLICK HERE or use the tabs above to get started.
-
EARTHQUAKES
-
FLOODS
-
HURRICANES
-
THUNDERSTORMS
-
TORNADOES
-
TSUNAMIS
-
volcanoEs
-
WILDFIRES
-
Winter Storms
-
SMOKE ALARM SMARTS
-
PLAN TO GET OUT FAST!
Earthquake Ready
Earthquakes occur in many parts of the United States. This activity will teach you about what causes them and how to be prepared.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.
Earthquakes happen when gigantic slabs of the Earth, called tectonic plates, rub and push against each other. An earthquake usually lasts only a few seconds to a few minutes, but it causes the ground to shake for miles around. You may have learned the word aftershocks. These too are earthquakes and can happen days, weeks, or even months after the main earthquake is felt.
An earthquake shakes everything in a home. Windows break. Pictures drop from the wall. Books shake off their shelves, and the whole bookcase might even tip over. In fact, the whole house sometimes shakes so much that it falls off its foundation — that is the part underneath that holds the house to the ground. Luckily, scientists and engineers have figured out ways to make houses earthquake-ready.
Find out how with this matching game. Ready?
Great Job!
Be Prepared!
If you feel an earthquake, Drop, Cover, and Hold On! That means drop to the floor, crawl under a table or some other piece of furniture that will cover and protect you from things that fall. Hold on to your cover so that it can’t shake away from you.
Click on these resources to learn more about earthquakes and how to stay safe if one happens.
Flood Season
Floods can happen anywhere in the United States and around the world. This activity explains how people have prepared for floods along the Nile River, in ancient times and today.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.
Flooding is part of the life cycle of many large rivers around the world. The people who live along these rivers expect flooding almost every year. How do they prepare for this emergency? How could they prevent it?.
The Nile River in Egypt is one of the longest rivers in the world. Every summer, melting snow and heavy rain in the mountains south of Egypt cause flood season along the Nile. Play this game to find out how people living along the Nile River have stayed safe in ancient times and today. Ready?
Great Job!
Ready for more? CLICK HERE to learn about flood season on the Nile today.
Ancient Egypt
My name is Nadia, and I live on the Nile River. My family has farmed here for hundreds of years. Each year the Nile floods and covers our farm with muddy water. The water soaks into the soil and the mud is left behind, making our land very good for farming. We call this flood time Akhet, the first season of the year.
When the flooding starts, my family moves away from the river to higher ground. We pack up our belongings and herd our animals with us. Sometimes we have to stay away for weeks, but those are good times because a big flood brings more soil and water to our farm. We know how to stay safe when the Nile overflows and are always able to return home when the flooding ends.
Great Job!
Now learn how you can be prepared for floods. CLICK HERE to continue.
Egypt Today
My name is Anwar, and I live on a farm near the Nile River. For centuries, the Nile flooded this land every year, but since 1970, our farm has been protected by the Aswan Dam. The dam holds back the river, storing its water in a giant lake.
Water from the lake flows through canals to farms all along the Nile. We use the water for irrigation — that means we use it to water our crops. There is always water in the canals, so we can grow crops all year long. In ancient Egypt, the farmers could only grow crops after flood time, and they had to leave their homes every year. I’m glad that we are protected from flooding today.
Great Job!
Be Prepared!
Floods can happen in any part of the country and sometimes occur with little warning. Make a plan with the grown-ups in your home, have more than one route to get to safety, and talk about what you will do to stay safe. Remember: never walk or drive through floodwater; never play in or near a flooded or fast-moving stream; and when you come to an area covered with water, TURN AROUND, DON’T DROWN!
Click on these resources to learn more about floods and how to stay safe if one happens.
Track the Hurricane
In the United States, hurricanes happen most often along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico coastlines. This activity shows how weather forecasters track hurricanes to warn us when one is on the way.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.
A hurricane is a spiral-shaped storm that forms over the ocean. Hurricanes are dangerous when they approach land. Their strong winds can blow down trees and power lines, and they bring heavy rains that can cause flooding. They also push ocean water onto the land, creating a storm surge that can wash away roads and buildings.
When a hurricane is on its way, weather forecasters use satellites to track it so that they can warn people to move away from dangerous areas. Here’s your chance to be a weather forecaster.
Use the grid map to track the locations of a hurricane as it heads toward the east coast of the United States. For each date and time, there are two numbers that describe the hurricane’s location — longitude and latitude.
Great Job!
Be Prepared!
Plan ahead to evacuate when a hurricane heads your way. Be sure the grown-ups in your home listen to the news to find out what to do for hurricane watches and warnings. Remind grown-ups to get plenty of gas for the car and cash from an ATM. Have more than one route to get to safety in case floods block your way. When you go back home after the hurricane, be careful not to hurt yourself on broken glass or other sharp things, and don’t walk in puddles — they could be dangerous.
Click on these resources to learn more about earthquakes and how to stay safe if one happens.
Thunderstorms and Lightning
There are more than 100,000 thunderstorms in the United States every year. This activity explains how thunderstorms form and produce lightning.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.
Thunderstorms can happen anywhere and any time conditions are right. They usually last only about 30 minutes, but they can produce a downpour of rain that causes flooding or a burst of hail that breaks windows and dents cars. Some can even produce tornadoes.
Great Job!
The answer is No. The cloud would have to be at least 42,240 ft. high to start producing rain or hail.
Ready for more? CLICK HERE to learn about lightning.
Great Job!
Be Prepared!
30 seconds ÷ 5 seconds to travel a mile = 6 miles! Remember the safety rule: WHEN THE THUNDER ROARS, GO INDOORS! Always pay attention to weather reports. If there is a chance of thunderstorms, you are better off staying indoors — save the outdoor fun for another day! During a thunderstorm, stay away from windows and glass doors in case they break. Lightning can travel through the plumbing in your home, so don’t do things that need running water. If you can’t get indoors, stay away from trees and power lines, and make sure you aren’t the tallest object in the area. If you are in a car, stay there and don’t touch anything metal. If you are in the water when a thunderstorm happens, get out immediately and go indoors for safety.
Click on these resources to learn more about thunderstorms and how to stay safe if one happens.
Tornado Tales
This activity uses a famous story to help you learn about real tornadoes.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.
Do you remember the story of The Wizard of Oz? It starts in Kansas, which is in a part of the United States where many tornadoes happen. In fact, more tornadoes happen in the central and southern U.S. than anywhere else in the world!
The Wizard of Oz starts with a tornado. (The author, L. Frank Baum, uses a different word — cyclone — but in this case it means the same thing.) Read the beginning of the story, then click Play to begin the activity.
Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer’s wife.
Uncle Henry looked anxiously at the sky, which was even grayer than usual. From the far north came a low wail of the wind, and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the coming storm. Then they heard a sharp whistling in the air from the south, and as they turned their eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass coming from that direction.
Suddenly Uncle Henry stood up. “There’s a cyclone coming, Em,” he called to his wife. Aunt Em dropped her work. “Quick, Dorothy!” she screamed. “Run for the storm cellar!”
Dorothy’s little dog, Toto, jumped out of her arms and hid under the bed, and the girl started to get him. Aunt Em, badly frightened, threw open the trap door in the floor and climbed down the ladder into a small, dark hole where they would be safe. Dorothy caught Toto at last and started to follow her aunt, but when she was halfway across the room there came a great shriek from the wind. The house shook so hard that she lost her footing and sat down suddenly upon the floor.
Then a strange thing happened. The house whirled around two or three times and rose slowly through the air. Dorothy felt as if she were going up in a balloon.
Great Job!
Be Prepared!
Talk to grown-ups about tornadoes. Make a plan about what to do if you live where tornadoes happen, then practice your plan. Remind grown-ups to listen to the news to find out what to do for tornado watches and warnings. The best way to stay safe during a tornado is to have a storm shelter or a safe room. (Finding out about these special rooms ahead of time might be a good project for your family or school class.) If a storm shelter or safe room is not available, find a safety spot like a basement or a windowless room on the lowest floor of your home, then kneel down and bend over as tight as ball with your hands over your head to protect yourself from things blown around by the wind. Stay there until the tornado goes away. If you live in a manufactured or mobile home, and you hear there is a tornado warning, get out and go to a safety spot, safe room, or storm shelter in a sturdy building.
Click on these resources to learn more about tornadoes and how to stay safe if one happens.
Tilly Spots a Tsunami
A tsunami (soo-nah-mee) is a series of waves that can cause dangerous surges of water along shorelines. This activity can help you spot the warning signs that a tsunami might be on the way!
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.
The word tsunami is Japanese for harbor (tsu) wave (nami). Most tsunamis are caused by earthquakes under the ocean. The energy released from the earthquake pushes the entire column of ocean water and sends waves rushing through the ocean until they run up on the shore. Once it gets started, a tsunami can last minutes, hours, or even days.
Tsunamis move fast when they are in the ocean, sometimes as fast as a jet plane. They can be caused by earthquakes, volcanoes, or meteor impacts thousands of miles away. Sometimes, even landslides can cause tsunamis. That’s why it’s important to be on the lookout for the warning signs of a tsunami when you are near the ocean, so that you can get away from the water and as high as possible before the tsunami comes to shore.
What are the warning signs of a tsunami? Just ask Tilly Smith, a 10-year-old girl from England who learned about tsunamis in school. Tilly shared what she learned when a tsunami was on its way to a beach where her family was taking a vacation. Read Tilly’s story and see if you can spot the warning sign that helped Tilly save the day.
After you read Tilly’s story, click the Play button to begin the activity.
It was another beautiful day on the beach in Thailand, where Tilly Smith and her family were spending the holidays. The sun was warm and the seawater was bright blue.
But Tilly noticed something unusual. The ocean water seemed to be rolling farther up the beach than it had just a few minutes ago. “That’s strange,” Tilly said to her mom. “It looks like the beach is getting smaller.”
Then Tilly remembered where she had seen this before.
“We should get off the beach,” Tilly told her mother. “I think there may be a tsunami coming!”
“What’s a tsunami?” her mother asked.
Tilly explained that she had learned about tsunamis at school. “They are strong waves caused by undersea earthquakes,” she said. “And they travel very fast. We have to leave the beach now!”
Even though Tilly’s mom and dad had never heard of a tsunami, they could see that the ocean was behaving in an unusual way, so they started back to their hotel. They told the hotel staff what Tilly had seen, and the staff immediately ran out to the beach and told everyone to get away from the water. Then, a few minutes later, a tsunami did crash onto the beach, sending water surging past the hotel and for miles beyond.
Thanks to Tilly, everyone on that beach was safe!
Great Job!
Be Prepared!
If you see the warning signs of a tsunami or hear a tsunami warning on the news, move immediately away from the shoreline and as high up as possible. If you feel an earthquake while you are near a beach, that could be the start of a tsunami, too. Drop, Cover, and Hold On to protect yourself from the earthquake. Then, once the shaking stops, move as quickly as possible away from the shoreline and as high up as possible. Don’t try to watch a tsunami — if you can see the waves, you are too close for safety.
Natural signs are usually our only warning of a tsunami coming from close by. A sudden change of water level can be a sign that a tsunami is coming. If you see either a sudden fall in the water level that exposes the seafloor or a sudden rise in the water level that covers the shoreline, move immediately as far away from the shoreline and as high up as possible — to an area clearly designated as outside the tsunami danger zone. Many people have reported that the ocean makes an unusual roaring noise when a tsunami is approaching shore. If the ocean sounds strange, anticipate a tsunami and move immediately as far away from the shoreline and as high up as possible — to an area clearly designated as outside the tsunami danger zone.
Click on these resources to learn more about tsunamis and how to stay safe if one happens.
The Ring
of Fire
In the United States, there are volcanoes in states along the Pacific coast and Hawaii. This activity can help you learn about volcanoes in other parts of the world.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.
About 75 percent of the world’s volcanoes are found along the edges of the Pacific Ocean in a region called The Ring of Fire. That adds up to more than 400 volcanoes! Why are there so many volcanoes in this part of the world?
Scientists have discovered that the surface of the Earth is made up of tectonic plates — gigantic slabs of rock that fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. Some of these slabs are bigger than a continent, and the biggest is at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
Unlike the pieces of a puzzle, the tectonic plates can move and slowly shift position. Over millions of years, they push and rub against each other. Around the Pacific plate, this pushing and rubbing sometimes causes earthquakes. It has also created a string of volcanoes that runs from New Zealand all the way around to the tip of South America — The Ring of Fire.
Great Job!
Be Prepared!
Scientists monitor volcanoes for signs that they may erupt. If you live near a volcano, listen for volcano warnings, and leave your home immediately if local authorities tell you to evacuate. Protect yourself from volcanic ash by wearing long sleeves, long pants, goggles, and a dust mask (or breathe through a wet cloth). Avoid river valleys, which can fill with volcanic mudflows, and get to higher ground as fast as possible if you hear a mudflow roaring toward you. Remind the grown-ups in your home to check the emergency supply kit, especially for clean drinking water.
Click on these resources to learn more about volcanoes and how to stay safe if there are volcanoes where you live.
Wildfire Home Protection
Wildfires destroy millions of acres of forests and grasslands each year. This activity can help you learn how to keep your home safe from wildfire.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.
In addition to forests and grasslands, wildfires also damage or destroy hundreds of homes each year. To help protect homes from wildfire, experts recommend creating a wide space around the home where there are few trees and plants for the fire to burn. This open space helps keep a wildfire away from the home by reducing the fuel it needs to spread.
Find out more ways to help keep a home safe from wildfire with this activity.
Great Job!
Be Prepared!
Ask your neighborhood firefighters if you live in an area with a wildfire risk. If you do, get together with the people in your home and make your own “to-do list” to help protect your home from wildfire. Make it a fun project for everyone — assign “chores,” check them off your list, and afterwards, plan a “we did it” activity. If a wildfire happens in your area, make sure the grown-ups in your home listen to the news to find out if the authorities say you should evacuate from your neighborhood. If you do evacuate, be aware of where the wildfire’s smoke is, and be prepared to move away from the fire if it suddenly changes directions.
Click on these resources to learn more about wildfires and how to stay safe when a wildfire happens.
WIND CHILL AND Winter SAFETY
Winter sports can be fun, but you have to be careful when it’s extremely cold outside. This activity can help you be prepared for winter weather.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.
You’ve probably heard weather reporters talk about the wind chill factor. They might say, “It’s 15 degrees outside, but with the wind chill factor, it feels like 2 below zero!” Did you ever wonder how it can feel so much colder than it really is?
Your body knows why the wind makes you feel colder. Your body produces heat — that’s why your temperature is usually 98.6º Fahrenheit. This heat warms up the air next to your bare skin, creating a thin layer of warmer air on your face and hands. When it is windy, this thin layer of air gets pushed away, and your body has to work harder to keep your bare skin warm. It feels colder than it really is because your body has to produce the same amount of heat as it normally would, just on a much colder day.
Weather forecasters have created a chart that anyone can use to look up the wind chill factor. You just need to know the temperature and the wind speed. The chart also shows how quickly you can get frostbite when the wind chill factor is really low. Frostbite happens when a part of your body starts to freeze. If you get a tingly or numb feeling, especially on a part of your body that is exposed to the cold, like your ears or nose, you could be starting to get frostbite. You should go inside immediately and warm up because frostbite can be dangerous.
Remember, it's always safest to stay indoors when it's extremely cold and during winter storms. If it's necessary to go outside, make any trips as brief as possible, dress warmly, and try to stay dry. And check the wind chill chart ahead of time! Here’s a chance to practice. Click Play to get started.
Great Job!
Be Prepared!
Wear layers of clothing when it’s cold outside, and always wear a hat. Go inside to warm up if your fingers, toes, ears, or nose feel tingly or numb — that’s a sign of frostbite. Go inside quickly if you start to shiver — that’s a sign that your body has lost too much heat, which can cause a dangerous illness called hypothermia. Remember, it is always safest to stay indoors when it is extremely cold. If it is necessary to go outside, make any trips as brief as possible, dress warmly, and try to stay dry. During a winter storm, stay inside and off the roads. If grown-ups need to be on the road when the news is warning about winter storms, remind them to have an emergency kit in the car and to stay in the car if they get stuck — it's dangerous to go looking for help.
Click on these resources to learn more about how to stay safe in severe winter weather.
SMOKE ALARM SMARTS
This activity shows the right places to put smoke alarms to help keep a home safe.
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.
Every home needs smoke alarms. When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast. Working smoke alarms give you early warning so you can get outside quickly. But smoke alarms need to be installed in the right places to help us stay safe. Do you know where smoke alarms belong — and where they don’t belong? Play this drag-and-drop activity to find out!
Great Job!
Be Prepared!
Smoke alarms save lives! Work with a grown-up to be sure you have smoke alarms in all the right places — in every bedroom, outside every sleeping area, and on every level of the home, including the basement. Avoid putting smoke alarms in the kitchen or bathrooms to reduce false alarms. Remind grown-ups to test every smoke alarm once a month and to change the batteries at least once a year.
Click on these resources to learn more about home fires and how to stay safe if one happens.
PLAN TO GET OUT FAST!
You may have as little as two minutes to escape a home fire. This activity shows how you can be prepared to get outside fast!
CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE.
You need to move fast when you are escaping a home fire. That’s why every family should make a home fire escape plan. Start with a map of your home. Then draw arrows to show two ways out of every room. One way could be through a door. The second way could be through a window. You need two ways to get outside in case one way is blocked by smoke or flames. With a home fire escape plan, you’ll know how to get out if that ever happens. Ready to see how it’s done?
