Rain and emergency alert tests make some people uneasy following recent disasters

In the wake of recent disasters, including the Thomas Fire and the Montecito mudslides, Savannah Manset gets nervous when the forecast calls for rain and she is not alone.

The 11-year-old said it is scary. She recalls evacuating from her home near Parma Park during the disasters.

Manset said she was not aware of a Presidential emergency alert scheduled to be tested on Wednesday after 11 a.m. She said she won’t be as scared knowing it is just a test.

Therapists from the Santa Barbara County Behavior Health Department suggest parents talk to their children about the alert before they head to school. They said weather events are likely to trigger feelings people experienced during evacuations and emergencies.

Many people from Montecito haven’t returned to their homes. Thomas Tighe is among them. He said his neighbors will probably be on pins and needles when storms are in the forecast.

Forecasters are monitoring the storm, but they don’t think it will be severe.