Making Preparedness Fun: Explaining Volcano Evacuations to Kids

The Pacific Northwest is no stranger to volcanic activity. With Oregon home to five potentially active volcanoes, it's essential for families to be prepared and educated on volcanic hazards. Volcano Awareness Week in Oregon is, May 18–25, 2025, and commemorates the 45th anniversary of the Mount St. Helens eruption, which happened on May 18, 1980. It serves as an opportunity for parents to teach their children about the volcano risk in their own backyard and emergency preparedness in a way that is both engaging and reassuring.

Why Volcano Preparedness Matters

The Mount St. Helens eruption in 1980 was a stark reminder of how powerful volcanoes can be, reshaping landscapes and disrupting communities. While volcanic eruptions are rare, their effects can be far-reaching, impacting air quality, transportation, and daily life. Educating children on preparedness helps them feel secure and gives them the knowledge to act safely in case of an emergency.

Making Preparedness Fun

Emergency preparedness doesn’t have to be scary—it can be interactive and engaging! Here’s a simple volcano experiment and resource guide that kids will love. It explains how eruptions work and will help you segway into a talk about your family’s preparedness plan. We recently did this activity at the Oregon Department of Emergency Management during Take Your Child to Work Day, and it was a hit. While you do the volcano experiment, take the opportunity to talk to your kids about your family’s evacuation and preparedness plan.

How to Explain Evacuations to Kids

To make evacuation plans less overwhelming, parents can frame them as a family adventure or team mission:

• Use maps and visuals – Show children where Oregon’s volcanoes are and use hazard maps to explain where an eruption might impact.
• Practice evacuations – Turn it into a game! Pack a "Go Bag" together (don’t forget your pets) and do a mock evacuation drill to show how quickly and safely your family can get ready.
• Make a safety checklist – Let kids help create a list of essential evacuation items, like snacks, comfort toys and protective masks for ashfall.
• Talk about helpers – Reassure kids that emergency responders, scientists and officials monitor volcanoes carefully and will help keep people safe.
• Tell them you are signed up for alerts – Show kids the OR-Alert webpage and help them understand how you receive Wireless Emergency Alerts on your phone.

Make Sure They Understand Evacuations

Volcanic eruptions can cause hazards like ashfall, mudflows (lahars) and fast-moving pyroclastic flows. In Oregon, officials use a three-level evacuation system to help people know when to leave and how urgent the situation is:

• Level 1: Be Ready – This means a volcano is showing signs of activity, and families should review their emergency plans, pack essential items and be prepared to leave if needed.
• Level 2: Be Set – Increased volcanic activity means evacuation is likely. Families should keep their emergency kits in an accessible place, follow local updates and be ready to go at a moment’s notice.
• Level 3: Go Now! – Immediate danger is present, and families must evacuate quickly. Roads may close, and air quality could become hazardous, so leaving as soon as possible is crucial. Familiarize yourself with TripCheck.com to know what routes are open.

Being Prepared as a Family

Encourage kids to ask questions and make preparedness a positive learning experience. By talking openly about evacuations and staying informed by making sure you are signed up for alerts from OR-Alerts and making sure the Wireless Emergency Alerts are activated on your phone, families can ensure everyone feels confident and ready.

For more preparedness resources, visit OEM’s Be2WeeksReady Toolkit or learn more about how to prepare for volcanic hazards, visit the U.S. Geological Survey Volcano Hazards page Oregon’s volcanic activity.