Classroom Intervention with Young Children After a Tornado Disaster

The United States is the most tornado-active country in the world, accounting for about 75% of the yearly number of tornadoes worldwide. Among just the top 14 tornado-prone U. S. states, there are over 12 million kindergarten and elementary school children potentially at-risk. The intensity and unpredictability of tornado storm stimuli can be especially stressful or traumatizing for young children because their perceptions, thoughts, and feelings are much more sensory-oriented than those of older children, adolescents, and adults. Moreover, children’s coping abilities may be easily overwhelmed in the aftermath of a disaster event that impacts their families and their communities. Teachers are often the professionals most knowledgeable about individual children’s needs outside of immediate family members. They stand in a pivotal and critical position to assist children’s successful adaptation to, and recovery from, tornado disasters. This chapter contains information about the range of young children’s reactions to tornado events, recommendations to manage children’s post-disaster recovery in the classroom, and bibliographic and web-based links to access tornado-relevant resources.