Abstract
Examines the effects of hurricanes and earthquakes on children and adolescents, although the authors touch briefly on the limited literature on other natural disasters, such as tornadoes, lightning strikes, and volcanoes. The authors present evidence indicating that many children and adolescents living in heavily damaged areas experience significant disaster-related symptomatology for months after the initial disaster and describe initial versions of manualized intervention materials. These sudden, dramatic, and violent acts of nature can create widespread damage and high levels of exposure to life-threatening trauma and may require long periods of reconstruction and recovery. For children and adolescents caught in severe hurricanes, earthquakes, or tornadoes, these relatively brief displays of natural forces can transform a familiar environment into a jumbled pile of rubble. Normally confident and protective adults may show terror, shock, and fear. In the most unfortunate circumstances, children may witness deaths or serious injuries or be injured themselves. The authors describe early versions of manualized intervention materials for dealing with the aftermath of hurricanes and earthquakes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved)