Save the Children’s emergency response experts have compiled ways to stay safe during a hurricane to help protect your children from distress during and after disasters. We’ve also noted how you may need to adjust your family hurricane emergency plan due to COVID-19.

Talk to your children about hurricanes. Explain to your child what could happen in the event of a hurricane, using simple, age-appropriate words. Outline a family emergency plan for hurricanes, with an evacuation plan and meeting location and emphasize that their safety is your utmost priority.

Prepare a “to-go bag” for each child in the family ahead of time. The bag should contain essential personal items as well as those that can help protect the spread of COVID-19, including:

Contact and medical information
A flashlight with extra batteries
A favorite stuffed animal or comfort item
A blanket
Hygiene supplies including a toothbrush, comb and washcloth
Hand sanitizer, or bar or liquid soap
Two cloth face coverings for each child above the age of two

Practice evacuation drills. Once you’ve created your hurricane evacuation plan and talked with your children about it, it’s time to practice. Be sure to run through different scenarios – at home, at school and at other places you visit often (like a grandparent’s house, or a second home). When planning your evacuation route, remember that bridges may be washed out and low-lying areas may be flooded.

Learn your child’s school or child care disaster plans. If your child attends school, daycare or an after-school program, ask for the facility’s hurricane emergency plan. Learn their procedures for evacuation, notifying parents and if there is an alternate pick up location.

Evacuate if instructed to do so. If you are instructed to evacuate by local authorities – or if you feel unsafe – you should follow CDC recommendations for how to stay safe and healthy in a public setting or shelter.

Stay indoors, if not evacuated. If you aren’t advised to evacuate, or are unable to do so safely, stay indoors, away from windows, skylights and doors. Continue to monitor weather reports and don’t go outside until the storm has passed. Downed trees, live electrical wires and other hazards can crop up unexpectedly.

Keep routines. Children experience comfort from rituals and routines, like a story before bedtime or a family meal each evening. If at all possible, keep these routines.

Role model and listen. Remember, children look to you and pick up on your moods and cues. Let your children know that it’s okay to be sad, but do your best to reassure them that they’re safe.

Although the dangers of a hurricane are very real, your child’s fears may be out of proportion or unrealistic. Take the time to talk to them and hear their concerns.

Limit media. Even the mildest of storms can be sensationalized on news and weather channels. Children of all ages can be disturbed by intense images online and on TV, so monitor their media intake.

Watch your child for changes in behavior, sleeping patterns, or eating habits. Children may be afraid or anxious for a while after the hurricane. If changes in behavior do happen, they will likely lessen within a short time. However, if they continue, you should seek professional help and counseling