ASL Natural Disasters for Kids

Can you name five natural disasters? How about ten? Twenty? Natural Disasters for Kids discusses quite a few of these crazy storms. It specifically discusses ten of the most common and what causes them to occur. In addition, you'll learn a few things you can do to get ready for a natural disaster in your area.Show more

The most common type of natural disaster in the U.S. is flooding. Nearly 90% of all disasters actually involve flooding in some way. Floods can result from tropical storms, hurricanes, extreme rains, or even thawing snow. On the opposite end of the spectrum is a drought. When an area experiences a drought, it means that there is intense heat and an extreme lack of precipitation. Droughts can kill plants and reduce freshwater supply.

Another common natural disaster is the tsunami. Tsunamis are rare in the United States. These large ocean waves that form after an earthquake happens end up flooding coastal land. Hurricanes similarly produce excessive rainfall and often a lot of flooding. Wind speeds during a hurricane can reach up to 150 miles an hour! Still, the worst wind storm would be a tornado, with speeds up to 300 miles per hour.

Luckily, there are things we can do to help get ready for these storms. These are the three Ps: plan, prepare, and practice. It always helps to have a plan that outlines what you should do in case a natural disaster occurs. Then it's important to prepare by gathering necessary supplies. And like practicing for a fire drill at school, it's a good idea to practice the plan you made and ensure it works.

We hope you and your student(s) enjoyed learning about these common storms! If you want to learn even more, head over to our website and download one of our many lesson plans about natural disasters, full of activities, worksheets, and more!