A Natural Disaster: Hurricane Katrina

A Natural Disaster; Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane Katrina was an extremely stressful time for me and my family. During August, 2005 this disaster bought on pains and heartaches for many peoples. My family and I stayed home because we didn’t think the storm would get too bad. The storm came during the daylight; most of us were sitting by the window watching the wind blow shingles off the neighbor’s houses. My son was lying in my bedroom because his room was next to the big tree in the back yard. My little granddaughter was only four years old at the time, but very frighten of the storm. My daughter and I tried all kind of things to get her mind of the storm. We prayed, try telling stories of different events, offered snacks, and reassured her that everyone would be alright; it worked for a little while.

About thirty minutes later, we heard a loud noise coming from the direction of my son’s room. We all ran to the back of the house, scared and concerned. The big tree had fallen across the house and water was pouring in. My granddaughter was screening and crying and the neighbor was knocking on the door. I picked my baby up and went to the door running. My neighbor stated that he was looking at the tree when it was falling down and he came over to see if we were alright. After he left we all came back into the front room and continue to look out at the storm and pray. I rocked my grandbaby on my lap until the storm was over. After the storm, we all went outside. My daughter and I showed my grandbaby all the trees that were down and explained to her that the storm was gone. Nobody in the neighborhood got hurt. I had over ten thousand dollars of damage, but I was more graceful that God has saved us through this devastated moment.

Stressors in Pakistan

After looking and reading different resources on the impact stressors have on young children development in other country, I founded out Pakistan has a big concern with educational problems. “The crisis is getting very little international attention and thousands of families are struggling without enough food and shelter. The situation is becoming increasingly dire for families living in cramped, temporary quarters with little to no income” (Pakistan, 2012). Along with that the increase of food and healthcare is also one of their biggest challenges as well. Without healthcare and educational experiences, young children learning achievement will decrease; this can cause a serious health concern and a great impact on many families.  

To help support this crisis “Save the Children has worked continuously in Pakistan since 1979 and has served Pakistani children and women as well as Afghan refugee families through relief and long-term development programs. While many development improvements have been made, life for millions of the poorest children and women in Pakistani is still full of hardships” (Pakistan, 2012). Also “Save the Children has worked in Pakistan for over 30 years and moved quickly to launch an emergency response for these families. We are rapidly assessing the needs on the ground and distributing life-saving and life-sustaining supplies such as shelter kits, and food. We have launched an appeal for $9m to reach 200,000 of the most vulnerable children and their families – we intend to be here, working with these families, for at least the next six months” (Pakistan, 2012).

Reference

Pakistan - Save the Children. Retrieved from, www.savethechildren.org › Home › Where We Work › Asia