The Disaster Decade: Lessons Unlearned for the U. S.

A Report Card for All 50 States

Angel and Mazy play with flashlights during Hurricane Gustav. August 2008.

If there is a single defining feature of the last ten years in the United States it is the relentless onslaught of disasters and the omnipresent threat that a new one could strike at any moment. For America's children – the most vulnerable victims during a crisis – the past few years have been particularly frightening. Read our latest press release.

From 9/11 through Katrina, Rita, Ike, the Wildfires and the Great Recession, children's unique needs during disasters were largely ignored. Amazingly enough, these inadequacies have still not been addressed by most states. According to Save the Children's new report "The Disaster Decade: Lessons Unlearned for the United States," only 7 out of 50 states meet the minimum preparedness standards when it comes to protecting children during disasters.

Brandon and Ashton look through their evacuation backpacks during Hurricane Gustav. August 2008.

The report cites some major inadequacies during disaster relief efforts:

• Following a serious disaster, there often is no effective system for family reunification. After Katrina, it took up to six months to reunify some children with their families.
• Shelters routinely don't keep families (and thus kids) separated from the rest of the population, making kids vulnerable to abuse and even rape.
• Kids are invisible during disasters in this country as shelters don't routinely count the number children in the facility.

See the full report and report card rating each state and the District of Columbia on their level of preparedness.

The report also lays out some solid steps that Congress and the Administration can take to begin to make positive change. 

Help us tell lawmakers that children need protection during a disaster. Click here to sign our petition and learn more.