TAMPA, Fla. — After a very active hurricane season two years ago, many adults and children still feel stressed when thinking about another hurricane season approaching.
Tampa Bay 28 anchor Wendy Ryan covers mental health and frequently speaks with Clara Reynolds the CEO and President of The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.
Reynolds told Ryan now is the time to start talking about hurricane season before the storm approaches.
“I would recommend to families to start talking to your children now about what is your plan as a family for hurricane season. And if there’s an opportunity, have your kid participate in that preparation process. Fear is often-times rooted in unknown and anxiety. So, if you help your child and allow your child to be a part of the process, that reduces a lot of that unknown, that fear and that anxiety,” said Reynolds.
She also said not to minimize anything your child is experiencing or feeling, as it’s important for them to express themselves and be validated.
“You never want to under-estimate how your child is feeling or make them feel like they’re stupid. You know, ‘Oh, that was 2 years ago, get over it already!’ Don’t do that. A little person’s brain holds on to a lot of things and as that brain is developing its gonna reprocess experiences that it’s had,” explained Reynolds.
If you, your child, or someone you know is struggling, The Crisis Center of Tampa Bay is always available 24/7 just by calling 2-1-1.
17% of Tampa residents are using 40% of the water during the worst drought in half a century
Mayor Jane Castor and Rory Jones, the city’s water department director, gathered at the Hillsborough River Dam to sound the alarm. The dam itself tells the story more plainly than any statistic.
17 percent of Tampa residents are using 40 percent of the water during the worst drought in half a century