How Do We Behave During An Earthquake And How Do We Tell Our Children About It?

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At dawn on last Monday, February 6, 2023, While many of the people of Turkey and Syria slept, They woke up to find themselves under the rubble of the earthquake that hit the area and recorded on the Richter scale of 7.8 degrees, followed by another earthquake of 7.5 degrees after several hours, resulting in a significant number of victims and demolished buildings, as it was at a depth of about 17.9 kilometers near the city of Gaziantep and occurred as a result of the movement of the plate. Arab tectonics moving towards Turkey towards the north.

And because any person or region is exposed to such natural disasters, you and those around you must be aware of the correct way to act in the event of an earthquake, How to help our children accept trauma and other warnings.

Before starting our article for today “How to act during an earthquake”

First of all we should know why the devastation caused by this earthquake was so severe?

Biologists agree that the cause of the devastation caused by this earthquake is due to “the way the buildings were designed and executed,” explained Carmen Solana, A volcanologist at the British University of Portsmouth told “Agence France Presse” that “the resistance of the infrastructure is very uneven in southern Turkey. Therefore, Saving lives now depends on the speed of relief.”

Volcanologist Bill McGuire said that many buildings collapsed in “layers”, He explained, “This happens when the walls and floors are not sufficiently connected to each other. Each floor collapses perpendicular to the basement,” leaving the residents with little chance of survival.

Most of the buildings in the area were not built according to the correct standards to be able to withstand earthquakes, so most of them were damaged.

Before we tell you what to do during and after an earthquake, here are a few things to do now:

Make sure you have a fire extinguisher, first aid kit, battery operated radio, Flashlight, And extra batteries in the house.
Learn some first aid principles.
Learn how to shut off gas and water pipes and cut off electricity.
Find out about safe places and shelter locations in your area.
Try not to put heavy things on the shelves.

How do we act during an earthquake?

Keep calm as much as possible! Remember that you have to control your nerves and act wisely to protect yourself and those around you.
Stay put whether you’re indoors or out.
if you are inside, stand in front of the wall post, or at the entrance to the house, or take cover under heavy furniture (desk or table), Stay away from windows and outside doors completely.
if you are abroad, Stay out in the open, away from power cords or anything that might fall from above, Stay away from buildings.
Do not use matches, candles, or anything with a flame.
if you are in a car, Stop driving and stay in it until the earthquake stops.
Never use the elevator because it may break down, and if you are already inside it, try to stop it at the nearest floor and exit.
Do not follow the instructions of an untrustworthy person.

What is the first thing to do after the earthquake stops?

Check yourself and others for injuries, If available, provide first aid to those who need it and ask to get it for yourself.
Check the water, gas and electricity lines, and if any of them are damaged, shut off the valves immediately.
If I smell gas, Open all windows and doors and leave the place immediately and do not forget to inform the relevant authorities to avoid damage.
Turn on the radio to see what’s going on, Do not use the phone except in an emergency.
Stay away from damaged buildings.
Beware of injuring yourself due to debris or broken glass.

After the earthquake is over, we must not forget the most affected segment, “Children“, a small child who does not exceed a few years of age will not be able to understand what is happening, He will not be able to control his fear.

And so that what happened does not cause a psychological crisis in the child, According to a child psychologist, kate evans, Here’s the correct way:

To talk to the children about the earthquake:

my sympathy for your children, and answer any questions they have, Ask your child to express his feelings by speaking, drawing, or creating a scenario in his head of how he saw the event and felt during it. It is normal for the child to panic because of a frightening experience he is going through for the first time, But we have to contain him, contain his fear, and understand what is happening.

You can tell him/her: “It was a sudden accident, and was a little scary, is not it? Mama was a little scared too“Here you confirm that his feelings are normal and that you share these feelings too – “but we are all safe now and it is okay.”

Some children are more expressive and come to you with specific questions, Or they will even be able to accurately name and describe what they are feeling.

Other children may be more introverted or younger and less able to express themselves, both of which are normal.

Even if your child doesn’t mention the earthquake, Mrs. Evans says that does not detract from the importance of telling him about what happened, And try to find out what he feels and thinks now, She advises you to say something like: “It was an earthquake and when we experience earthquakes, sometimes we feel the shaking and things in our house can move.” “Did you also feel that our house moved? That’s normal, but look, now we’re back to normal, right?”

And if your child asks questions you can’t answer like, “Why is this happening to us?” or “What does this mean?” Ms. Evans says it’s fine and natural not to have a full and logical answer. You can confirm that his question is natural and saying: “Yeah, that’s very unusual for us, isn’t it?” We can’t predict when an earthquake will happen. Earthquakes are in the past, so they are rare, which is a good thing.”

If your child is afraid to sleep at night or has some nightmares, Ms. Evans says it’s important to provide extra comfort and safety, I reassured them of the rarity of earthquakes in the area.

And most of all, Do not show your child the videos and pictures circulated on social networking sites and the news, Violent and bloody scenes will only make his condition worse.

We wish you permanent safety and that you are always fine and follow the safety instructions and how we act during the earthquake,

We always wish you, my dear, and your family and lovers always safety and that our article helped you in how we behave during the earthquake.

and remember, In the event that you feel that your psychological condition, you and those around you, is getting worse and cannot be controlled, then seeking help is obligatory, Get psychological counseling as soon as possible and seek support from those around you.

Sources:

kids and earthquakes

E arthquake

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