We all know where we were, what we were doing and we all have our own stories of how hurricane Katrina impacted our lives. My husband worked at the Davenport Lounge in the Ritz Carlton with a Jazz quartet. After Katrina, my husband had to move to St. Louis for 6 months for work, leaving me home with a 4 year old, a two year old and a newborn. However, it was nothing compared to the loss so many had suffered. One thing is for sure, we were not prepared. Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, leaving more than 1,300 people dead and displacing 1 million people from their homes. But those most affected were children—the record storm led to 5,000 reports of missing children and 370,000 children forced out of school. U.S. emergency planning did not account for children’s unique needs.
gaps remain. Our children, still at risk, deserve better. Save the Children has come up with a great way to fill in the gaps. Get Ready Get Safe is a pioneering Save the Children initiative designed to help US communities prepare to protect and care for the most vulnerable among us in times of crisis – our children. Save the Children helps generate child-focused emergency plans, provide emergency training and ensure emergency resources are in place before crisis strikes. One such resource is the emergency contact card. Disasters like Hurricane Katrina can strike anywhere at anytime. Protect children by making an emergency contact card for your child.
Quick Links:
Read the full Save the Children 2015 Disaster Report here.
Make your children’s emergency contact cards FREE here
Follow the discussion with #Katrina10. You can keep in touch with Save the Children online and learn more about their work to protect and nurture children not only here at home but all over the world.