Alachua County Emergency Management is collaborating with the Alachua County Library System to get little ones and their loved ones involved in hurricane preparedness through fun and educational events.
During the most recent event, Storm Ready Storytime, children decorated tote bags and filled them with hurricane preparedness items. They read “Henry and the Hurricane” by Brittany Perkins Castillo, a story about getting ready for a storm.
David Peaton, the assistant director of Emergency Management for Alachua County, said it’s important that all members of the community, no matter the age, are prepared.
"One of the ways that we really wanted to do that is to partner with our local libraries,” Peaton said. “We really want to engage with a lot of our younger people in our community and make sure that they also understand what is going on and how to be better prepared."
Patrice Coleman, from Levy County, brought her 9-year-old grandson to the event. She found out about it through Facebook and said it came at a perfect time.
“It was really nice. I loved the activities, the conversation,” she said. “Just learning about new things that I did not know.”
Coleman said the event helped her grandson learn about hurricanes in a way that made him feel less scared of them.
She said now she is considering making a hurricane kit for herself based on what she learned at the event.
"We are so used to hurricanes, but when it happens and there's destruction going around, we don't think about grabbing anything," Coleman explained
Michelle Brown, from Alachua County, brought her two children to the storytime. Her son Graham said he really enjoyed everything that came with the safety kit.
"Wow, that's bright!” he said as he turned on the portable camping lantern.
Brown told her friend Tracy Donovan about the event, who brought her daughter as well.
“I just like to expose the kids to any disaster preparedness awareness," Donovan said. "It’s a fun activity for the summer.”
The events will take place through June 26 at various libraries across the county. The locations and times can be found on the Alachua County Emergency Management website.