Disasters and resilience

Ages 13 to 17 Read alone · about 40 minutes

Read together

Typhoons, earthquakes, floods and eruptions are natural hazards. They become disasters when they hurt people who are unprepared or poor.

Resilience means being able to prepare, respond and recover together.

Do it

1. Check which hazards your area faces, using official sources.
2. Make a family emergency plan: meeting place, contacts, a bag with water, food, torch and medicines.
3. Learn drop, cover and hold on for earthquakes, or the local advice for storms and floods.
4. Find out how your church or neighbours help after disasters.

Talk about it

• What is our plan?
• Who might need extra help in a disaster?

For the grown-up

The Philippines is exposed to typhoons, earthquakes and volcanoes, and families there often model strong community help (bayanihan). Follow official local guidance. In an emergency call 911 (US) or your local emergency number. Fear about disasters is normal, so talk calmly with your teen.

Mark as done

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Where this comes from

• United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015 to 2030
• Ready.gov (United States Department of Homeland Security), guidance on emergency planning and kits
• Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, public information on earthquake and volcano hazards

Written with AI assistance and checked against the sources listed. Please read it before sharing it with a child.