Homeschooling through a disaster

[Once]

I hesitate to post this but....

 

Our Mayor just declared a state of emergency in our town, floods are likely. Has anyone here homeschooled through a disaster? I have plenty of time to prepare as the snow has not even melted but I'd like to plan ahead.

 

If it gets really bad we would just leave town and stay in a hotel. So some thoughts running through my head,

 

What did you take? Is it ever smart just to stop school? What did you do instead (presuming you were out of town and safe)? What do you do if it is a testing year? I was planning to school through the summer anyway, now what? Should I sell some more books now (they are downstairs in the school room)?

 

Anyone out there have pointers? Ideas?

[Parrothead]

Well, the first thing I'd do is figure out if my house was subject to be flooded and start getting stuff out fast. School wouldn't even cross my radar at this point.

 

If you want to do school in your safe place decide if you want to do full school or lite school. Personally I'd opt for lite school keeping things to the Three R's. Even if you live in a state that requires testing, the basics should be enough to pass yearly tests.

 

School would also take a back seat when moving back into the house.

[swellmomma]

Well I would take the basics for sure, English, math etc, especially if you think you will be out of your home for a while. Box up any thing that is in the lower level that would get flooded and move it up to a higher level of your home. I would not sell things right now, simply because you may be told to evacuate asap and won't have time to worry about packages going out to the post office etc. As for what to do, I would try to keep things close to normal even in a hotel room for the kids, but if I headed to a different town for example I would take the time to explore what things that town has to offer like little museums etc.

 

Good Luck, Hopefully this ends up being more hype than true worry and you guys will not have to worry about hotels etc.

[mamakven]

i think that if POSSIBLE, and that meaning that if you had to evacuate, your obvious first step would be to get all the people, then all the valuables (PHOTOS!!!) and maybe food etc. out and if you had time after that, then i'd suggest that you DO bring school along and try to do as much as possible if for no other reason than just to maintain as normal an existence as possible!! I think that kind of event would be horribly stressful on children, so maybe play it by ear... maybe they won't want to do school right away, but it could be a very valuable sanity break!

[Once]

Unless the disaster was going to last a very long time, I wouldn't consider anything a priority except getting to a safe place (making sure I had food, etc).

 

 

 

Yes. This could take a month to fully realize itself. There is a good chance that it will never happen. The papers suggest 72% chance of reaching flood stage and it would require several weeks to melt the snow we have. The dikes have never been tested and the water could sneak through at places where there are no dikes up river.

 

Nobody is evacuating now and people are going on business as usual. I will not empty my house as we have adequate flood insurance and building and contents insurance. Clearly, I have time to both worry and prepare.

 

Last time this happened it was a 12 hour notice for the forced evacuation. I just want to be prepared and learn about what I have not considered. I did not live here the first time through 11 years ago.

[bettyandbob]

I will not empty my house as we have adequate flood insurance and building and contents insurance.

 

 

I wouldn't suggest emptying your house, but would strongly advise against counting on insurance covering everything. We probably have more insurance than truly advisable and we were out of pocket quite a bit after a nonnatural disaster (pipe burst). I don't know anyone whose gone through major repairs which cost exactly what the insurance paid out.

[chiguirre]

We hsed through Hurricane Ike. We went without power for 2.5 weeks at our house, but the business center of our town was up and running in 4 days. We got a lot accomplished because most of our regular activities were cancelled.

 

As to flood prep, I'd do what your more experienced neighbors do. When they start carrying their stuff to their attics, I would do the same. Maybe you could make a list of essential documents and keepsakes you'd take in your car with you. As you get closer to the actual flood, pack supplies for the traffic jam out of town in your car and make sure your oil is changed, fluids topped up and tires are the correct pressure. Maybe request some audiobooks from your library to have for the ride.

 

Good luck and stay dry!

[swellmomma]

I would also double check your insurance. When I was insuring my house I was putting flood insurance on it and found out it did not even cover floods caused by melting snow, etc. I would have no coverage for it. The flood insurance covered things like a burst pipe, or the hot water tank bottoming out etc, but not natural disaster by water/ice/snow. So confirm that before you put much faith in it. I would not suggest emptying your house but raise things off the floor, if not done already put things from cardboard boxes into rubber maids, move important things, school things etc to a higher floor. If you have the amount of time you think you do, then certainly go ahead with selling things, so at least you can still recoup costs on those rather than losing them in a flood.

[elegantlion]

Survival training, disaster training, all part of school. :tongue_smilie: Last year we went through Gustav and Ike, two hurricanes in one month, YIKES! We evacuated for Gustav and I took my school books, all loaded in the packed car and trailer. Rubbermaid storage containers are great.

 

After two days in a hotel with a dog, cat, and umpteen other hurricane evacuees we got no school done. He learned a lot in those two days however.

 

I would cut school to the basics and prepare however you need to prepare. This is a great time to show your dc you take weather threats & authority figures seriously and can plan/prepare without panicking.

[Audrey]

You're in the RRV flood zone, right? There should be some provincial support centres popping up again where you could go.

 

No advice for homeschooling through a flood, but you could always come up on the escarpment. We sometimes get families coming up here during the flood relief.

 

If it ever floods this high up, I'm going to be looking for the nearest dude named Noah. :lol:

[Once]

Yep. That's where we are. But we are on the USA side. Can't cross right now as we are in the middle of green card apps and two kids do not have a passport yet.

 

Niagara would be a nice change. Dh lived on the escarpment when he went too school. He walked everywhere....up hill both ways. :D

[6packofun]

I would take English and Math for each child and then bring one history text to read aloud, one science book to read from and cut out all paper work for the history & science. Maybe organize a binder for each child if you did want to do some assignments and make as many copies of material as you can before you go.

 

If you're able, load up the iPods or mp3 players (or burn CD's) of as many great stories for "read aloud" time as possible so that you don't have to lug the books themselves.

[Once]

We hsed through Hurricane Ike. We went without power for 2.5 weeks at our house, but the business center of our town was up and running in 4 days. We got a lot accomplished because most of our regular activities were cancelled.

 

 

I was thinking there was still hope.

 

Did you have a routine when you went without power that you found worked?

 

Was cash helpful? How did your downtown keep functioning?

 

Did you just ignore the news and keep your own rountines?

 

I'm tempted to do the fun subjects that we do not always get too. If I leave the 3 R's then school will seem like a break rather than a ball and chain.

 

Are there any really good read alouds for survival skills that my kids would love to hear? My daughter reads like a fiend and the weekly trips to the library are almost not enough. How does one keep a kid happy with only a handful of books?

[newbie]

We did not homeschool through both evacuations for wildfires. Both kids belong to online schools, we contacted teachers and let them know that we needed extensions.

 

If we had computer access in the RV, I probably would have hsed just to keep things at a norm.

 

We did lots of games and videos, only because we were holed up and the smoke was horrid outside.

[CLHCO]

 

Sorry, I had to do it.

[Colleen]

It floods here at least once a year (just happened in early January) so to be honest, possible flooding in and of itself doesn't really strike me as reason to panic. We live in the floodplain, directly on a major river, and it's not unheard of for our place to be completely under water and inaccessible. Our barns have had water in them; our house, thank God, never has. But flooding is the norm here, and states of emergency pretty routine, too.

 

Unless you're looking out your window watching the water approach your front porch this very minute, I'm honestly not sure what your specific concern is at this point.

 

Btw, are you absolutely sure your homeowner's insurance covers flooding from a natural sources? It's not the norm, and it costs an arm and a leg. So much so that we don't pay for it, despite where we're situated.

Edited March 12, 2009 by Colleen

[Once]

It floods here at least once a year (just happened in early January) so to be honest, possible flooding in and of itself doesn't really strike me as reason to panic. We live in the floodplain, directly on a major river, and it's not unheard of for our place to be completely under water and inaccessible. Our barns have had water in them; our house, thank God, never has. But flooding is the norm here, and states of emergency pretty routine, too.

 

Unless you're looking out your window watching the water approach your front porch this very minute, I'm honestly not sure what your specific concern is at this point.

 

Btw, are you absolutely sure your homeowner's insurance covers flooding from a natural sources? It's not the norm, and it costs an arm and a leg. So much so that we don't pay for it, despite where we're situated.

 

I don't think I'm in a panic. Just looking for tips from people who have continued on as usual during emergency events. I think that is resonable on a homeschooling support board. :001_smile: This was my reluctance to post in the first place as I did not want "the sky is falling advice". If we have to leave we have to leave and I wanted ideas of what people would take and how they would work an emergency and homeschool through it.

 

I'm going to look into the flood insurance. The papers have suggested that we get it and we did. It was under $400 and it covers all the appliances downstairs and the drywall but not the contents. I am going to call tommorrow about the details.

 

We have a bin system for school so I could just pack that up but I wonder if it is worth it to do something different but keep the rountine of school.

[Audrey]

Yep. That's where we are. But we are on the USA side. Can't cross right now as we are in the middle of green card apps and two kids do not have a passport yet.

 

Niagara would be a nice change. Dh lived on the escarpment when he went too school. He walked everywhere....up hill both ways. :D

 

 

Oh! Sorry... thought you were a fellow Canuck. Will your area have some relief stations? What did they do last time?

[Once]

Your right, I am Canadian but we live in the US. Last flood was over ten years ago. A friend of mine was just telling me her story and she was pretty much on her own to find a way to her parent's house. We do not have family close by so we would need a shelter or hotel.

 

For now, I'm hoping we do not have to leave. As the time gets near I wonder if we should take school or just leave it and start up later. If the kids get to bored all alone without activites and friends it would be worse than no school at all.

 

I just want to get others ideas about what has worked for them so I can think it through and prepare.

[Colleen]

Just looking for tips from people who have continued on as usual during emergency events....If we have to leave we have to leave and I wanted ideas of what people would take and how they would work an emergency and homeschool through it...We have a bin system for school so I could just pack that up but I wonder if it is worth it to do something different but keep the rountine of school.

 

I imagine I'd take the school stuff and just play it by ear. If I was at a shelter or hotel for a day, for example, I certainly wouldn't worry about getting to math lessons and so on. I'd read aloud in order to calm our fears and keep us occupied. On the other hand, if I was in a situation whereby we were living elsewhere for an extended period of time, I'd of course not want to set school aside altogether.

 

The more I think about this, the more I'm curious as to what's going on. Declaring a state of emergency requires, well, a state of emergency. I don't understand how that's happened simply because something may happen (but very well may not) months from now. ???

 

I'm going to look into the flood insurance. The papers have suggested that we get it and we did. It was under $400 and it covers all the appliances downstairs and the drywall but not the contents. I am going to call tommorrow about the details.

 

$400 an on annual premium? That'd be a deal, since decent flood insurance for natural disasters is typically far in excess of that amount. Of course, if a house gets flooded, the damage is going to be more extensive than drywall. It's worth looking into (and I know you said you're going to do that:)), but really, given the situation I wouldn't stress if you aren't covered. Are you in a floodplain?

[Once]

 

The more I think about this, the more I'm curious as to what's going on. Declaring a state of emergency requires, well, a state of emergency. I don't understand how that's happened simply because something may happen (but very well may not) months from now. ???

 

 

 

$400 an on annual premium? That'd be a deal, since decent flood insurance for natural disasters is typically far in excess of that amount. Of course, if a house gets flooded, the damage is going to be more extensive than drywall. It's worth looking into (and I know you said you're going to do that:)), but really, given the situation I wouldn't stress if you aren't covered. Are you in a floodplain?

 

Yes. The mayor is getting a bit of flack for that. I'm not sure if he has to follow a set of guidelines or not but clearly it is an early declaration. I think his intention is to help people understand the importance of preparing.

 

I was pleased with the price of the insurance but we live in a modest sized house in a middle class neighbourhood. We are in a flood plain so many people are required to buy every year, which may reduce the risk for the insurance company now that there is a set of dikes. The insurance does not cover contents downstairs, only the basics, hot water heater, washer, dryer, but it is still better than no coverage at all. I'm fairly certain that it covers for flood water. But I do want to double check to be completely certain.

 

Yes, read alouds are nice and portable. My daughter quickly tires of read alouds, although my sons love them. She would rather race through a book on her own. I wouldn't be able to guess how many books we would need for a week away from home. I have one needing picture books and two wanting chapter books and one that reads herself and one that does not.

 

I wonder if a journal would be a good idea; a way to write it all down so they have some memories. I read a book in the library that was mainly poems written by a little girl that lost everything in the flood of 97. The poems were her way of resolving the issues. My daughter isn't much of a writer but if she did that once a day I would feel like we were still moving ahead.

 

I think this is my worry, that we would lose ground. It would be understandable but stressful for me, considering my personality.

[katilac]

Colleen said:

 

The more I think about this, the more I'm curious as to what's going on. Declaring a state of emergency requires, well, a state of emergency. I don't understand how that's happened simply because something may happen (but very well may not) months from now. ???

 

A state of emergency can indeed be declared in advance of the anticipated emergency.

 

 

$400 an on annual premium? That'd be a deal, since decent flood insurance for natural disasters is typically far in excess of that amount.

 

That's about what we paid until Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Ike. Now we pay about $700. And we didn't even make a claim, darn it.

 

As far as the OP goes, it's very smart to plan ahead. We've evacuated many times for hurricanes, but always returned home in a day or two. Katrina had us gone for three full weeks, and I was glad to have school work with me.

 

Even if you don't plan to use all of your school books on a possibly extended evacuation, it makes sense to bring what you can. What if you can return in two weeks, but your school supplies are destroyed?

 

They can be replaced, yes, but you have an even longer road to normalcy if you have to try and rebuild that in the midst of repairing other damage, handling insurance claims, and so forth.

 

This is exactly the type of thing the OP should be thinking about in advance. What do I need to bring? What am I able to bring, in terms of space?

 

Make a list and add to it as you go along. Any school books or other items I don't want to risk, but can't bring, get put in zip lock bags and placed high.

 

For the kids, I would emphasize 'we have a plan, we're going to be as safe as possible, the people in charge will tell us when it's time to get out.'

 

Totally unrelated to school books, but very pertinent to natural disasters: Cleaning the freezer after a power outage is much less disgusting if you put EVERYTHING in ziplock bags. Trust me on this :lol:

[Once]

Totally unrelated to school books, but very pertinent to natural disasters: Cleaning the freezer after a power outage is much less disgusting if you put EVERYTHING in ziplock bags. Trust me on this :lol:

 

 

Good idea! My husband had to clean a freezer out once after he returned from Central America. It was full of mold and warm. Turned him off meat for a bit.

 

Preparing the kids is also excellent. You statements were simple explanations but full of confidence.

[Beth S]

We went 12 days without electricity following the Ice Storm at the end of January (in rural West KY). We evacuated on Day 7 with 3 sick kids. :eek:

 

We did Math & Grammar, and the kids played with their Rush Hour-type puzzle games & read. They wished they had more board games. They watched too much TV.:tongue_smilie:

 

Having the school books gave our mornings some structure, but we were too stressed out & busy trying to live without electricity that a "full-day" of school was impossible.

 

I would seriously consider moving your valuables to a self-storage unit somewhere in a safe region. Our neighbors here lost quite a bit when their 2nd floor pipes froze & burst during the aftermath of the storm. I would not CHOOSE to go through that if there's a way to protect your valuables (even if it's needlessly).

 

Life was NOT "normal"! But it helps for the kids to get to pick some of their things to take with them, and for the adults to be as upbeat as possible.

 

We had no idea when the power would return, so it was impossible to plan with surety . . . but looking back, it was a good time of growth for our family.

[vettechmomof2]

We lost our home in a flash flood in 2006.

 

THe children,pets and myself moved in with my parents, my brother and his girlfriend in their tiny 3 bedroom old farmhouse that now had 5 dogs that did not like each other, 3 cats who did not like each other and 9 birds who were ALL in seperate cages and 1 fish tank.

 

We were able to save only our shelf on Anciet Egypt so we studied Egypt happily for 5 months.:)

 

It was rough but worke dout well for us as it gave us time to spend with my grandparents but we really missed hubby/daddy. Then my daughter was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes a 3 months after the flood and that floored me worse.

 

So, it has happended. You will get through it. We had less than 2 minutes before our property and house and cars were totaled so no preparing on our parts helped. The creek has gotten blocked way at the top from othe people and no one new it was happening until too late.

 

Know and have your important papers ready and all of the fine print to go along with it.

 

We received no help from anyone except my parents, other family , the red cross for diapers and immiedet clothes and when we were trying to get a new house elsewhere we did get a SBA loan(low interest rate disaster loan). Fema did not help us and we had flood insurance so we were supposed to get aid form that but that is a whole nother topic:mad:.

 

Good luck and if you have any questions let me know.

[chiguirre]

Did you have a routine when you went without power that you found worked?

 

Was cash helpful? How did your downtown keep functioning?

 

Did you just ignore the news and keep your own rountines?

 

 

 

We stuck to our normal schedule, but we didn't have to evacuate. We live in the zone that was told to "hunker down", so we did. We just did our normal school day on the Monday after the hurricane. The kids were grateful for something to do.

 

Our power was out due to fallen trees, so the crews start clearing commercial areas first. Then they start branching out to residential areas. We did have cash on hand, but we didn't use it. I had bought 2 weeks worth of canned foods and dry goods and we didn't lose our water or gas. We just made do with what we had on hand and by the time the stores reopened with normal operations 4 days later we could use our cards again.

 

We watched the news a lot as Ike approached and after we lost power we listened to the radio. Dh's office reopened after 5 days and then he had internet access. We didn't lose our phone (but you do need to buy an old style no plug phone for about $5 at Walmart).

[katilac]

I forgot to answer the question about cash, and it's an important: Yes, yes, yes! Have cash on hand, several hundred dollars if possible.

 

When we returned after Katrina, there were many stores and GAS STATIONS that were open, but only able to accept cash. Phone and data lines were out for weeks in some places.