Preparing for the Next Storm: Protecting Children During Disasters

Summary

As hurricane season looms, disaster preparedness often focuses on bottled water, batteries and evacuations. But storms don’t only topple power lines — they destabilize families, heighten stress and put children at greater risk of abuse and exploitation. This article explores the critical role of child protection during and after crises. It offers practical guidance for NC communities on how to recognize hidden trauma, strengthen local support systems and prioritize child safety in disaster planning.

Key Points

Takeaway: Disaster preparedness isn’t just about power and water — it’s about protecting vulnerable groups like children in the midst of trauma.

  • Why stress and instability during disasters raise the risk of abuse.
  • The role of Child Advocacy Centers in being “on alert” during crises to support children and families.
  • Practical advice for communities: recognizing hidden trauma, knowing local CAC resources, supporting child safety planning during disaster prep.

Preparing for the Next Storm: Protecting Children in the Wake of Natural Disasters

North Carolina has a 300-mile Atlantic coastline, making it one of the most hurricane-prone states in the U.S. But as 2024’s Hurricane Helene reminded us, even inland regions like western NC can suffer devastating impacts from hurricanes. With more than 50 direct hurricane landfalls between 1851 and 2022, it is clear that all the communities of NC are highly vulnerable to major storms. This isn’t news to locals. Anyone who’s lived in NC through hurricane season knows all too well the long-term effect of these storms — from flooding and power outages to families displaced, schools closed and loss of life. But as with any trauma, some effects go unseen. As hurricane season looms, disaster preparedness typically focuses on bottled water, batteries and evacuations. But storms don’t only topple power lines — they destabilize families, heighten stress and put children at greater risk of abuse and exploitation.

It is estimated that children born in 2020 will experience a two- to sevenfold increase in Extreme Weather Events in their lifetime, compared with people born in 1960.

As we come upon the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Helene and enter yet another active hurricane season, what can we take away as a community to better prepare for the unseen post-event traumas associated with natural disasters?

Stress & Instability from Natural Disasters Raise the Risk of Abuse

What impacts physical structures and landscapes, always trickles down to the families and children in them. When the water recedes, survivors often face post-traumatic stress, depression and anxiety. An article in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine analyzed a study on the incidence of abuse following a hurricane and concluded that parental stress and decreased social support leads to an increase in reports of child maltreatment.

Some of the factors that contribute to child abuse include:

  • Substance Abuse (alcohol, drugs): Each hurricane-related traumatic event was associated with an average increase of 79.2 drinks per year and 71.6% of child welfare professionals report substance abuse as the top reason behind the rise in child abuse since 1986.
  • Mental Health Challenges & High Stress (e.g., depression, anxiety): Data collected from named storms over the last decade show increases in symptoms of depression and anxiety among affected residents. As such, parental mental illness doubles or triples the risk of child mistreatment; creating an increase in protection referrals.
  • Other Contributing Factors: Economic instability, housing insecurity, limited access to healthcare, education, or social/community support are all contributing factors that create stressful environments for families and increase child abuse. This is compounded after disasters by separation from loved ones, increases in unemployment, disruption of school routines and overloaded relief systems.

Child abuse increases when parental stress, poor mental health, or substance abuse collide with family instability and a lack of social support. All outcomes that are commonly recognized after natural disasters, which puts pressure on hard-hit communities to restore not only power and water, but stability to family environments.

How Child Advocacy Centers Step in for Crisis Support

Child Advocacy Centers across North Carolina provide support through an interconnected network of agencies on the ground that serve in unique communities across the state. This means local agencies who deeply understand the community needs are available to provide proactive education, response, and services, all free of charge. These 54 community-based, child-friendly centers foster hope and facilitate healing for traumatized child victims of physical and sexual abuse, child-trafficking, neglect and exposure to drugs and violence.

CACs offer continuous support to children and families facing trauma across North Carolina, including critical support in the aftermath of natural disasters – when families are vulnerable; stress is high, and resources limited. CAC services include:

  • Provide a child-friendly environment where kids and families feel secure.
  • Connect families to resources: food, shelter, clothing, legal, etc.
  • Provide crisis intervention and advocacy: including needs assessment, support, and advocacy with shelters & aid organizations to assist children and families.
  • Supply ongoing trauma-specific mental health assessment/treatment and education/resources for families/caregivers. Trauma-informed therapists help children process fear, grief, or loss and help caregivers manage stress and develop coping skills.
  • Help families navigate the complexities that occur after a natural disaster – insurance, FEMA benefits, housing programs, social services, etc.

Practical Advice for Communities: Recognizing Hidden Trauma & Taking Action

So how can your family and those in your community be better prepared to protect children during and after a natural disaster?

Educate Children of All Ages on Safety

  • Learn ways you can teach elementary, middle and high school children about safety, boundaries, what is appropriate/inappropriate and how to bring concerns to a trusted adult. Resources are available by age and provide the structure for children to understand when and how to speak up.

Know the Signs & Symptoms of Abuse & How to Report Them

In North Carolina, preparing for storms has always meant stocking up on supplies and mapping evacuation routes. But true resilience goes beyond restoring electricity and repairing homes — it requires addressing the hidden toll disasters take on families and children. Hurricanes and other extreme weather events disrupt stability, magnify stress and leave children especially vulnerable to harm. Recognizing this, Child Advocacy Centers across the state provide a vital safety net that ensures children and families have access to trauma-informed care, essential resources and advocates who understand their unique needs.

During hurricane seasons, communities have an opportunity to strengthen their preparedness not only for the physical damage storms bring, but also for the invisible wounds left in their wake. By learning the signs of abuse, knowing how to report concerns and connecting families with local supports, we can help safeguard children before, during and after disaster strikes. Protecting the youngest and most vulnerable members of our communities must remain at the heart of recovery because resilience isn’t just about rebuilding homes, it’s about ensuring every child has the chance to heal, grow and thrive.