1. Disasters Can Spell Big Trouble
Disasters
come out of the blue, from over the top or underneath, any time and any place. Usually no one thinks about disaster until it happens. Tornadoes,
floods, prairie and forest fires, drought and disease are just some of the forms disasters can take. Other kinds are earthquakes, hail,
plow winds, pandemics, storm surges, winter power outages and lightning strikes. Accidents are also disasters in their own way.
How many disasters in Canada does the Red Cross respond to in a year? 5,000, 10,000 or 20,000? If you guessed 20,000, you are right!
Disasters take their toll on family and community life. They cost big money to governments and insurers. They can be really scary.
But disasters can be a time of pulling together as a family and a community. It can be a time to look up with hope and be brave. Many heroes are born in time of disaster. Young people have done heroic acts of rescue at a time of need, weighing the risks but doing what they had to and using common sense.
We are going to look at disasters and how people in Saskatchewan have handled them. There are some "disaster games" for you to play, and ideas for further study.