Maharashtra, a western state in India, has suffered heavy rains this monsoon season. While the rain is good for plants and crop growth, the heavy rainfall presents other issues, such as severe flooding that sweeps away homes and villages. This year, the rain also loosened the rocks and ground on hills, causing several destructive landslides. The western state of Himachal Pradesh has also experienced some of these severe natural occurrences:

Show this video to your students [0:51].
Kinnaur: Two dead and dozens trapped in India landslide

People in that area are used to the heavy rains of monsoon season, so their response to monsoon season is probably different than those of us who have never lived that close to an area with frequent monsoons. But there comes a point when the signs around you tell you something big is coming—time to get out. Still, people continue to live in potentially dangerous areas.

Share some of the signs of a landslide with your students.
Fact Sheet: Recognize Landslide Warning Signs

• In an instance such as the landslide we saw earlier, what signs would have told you that it was time to go? (Accept all reasonable answers. Students may mention changes in landscape, unusual sounds, a faint rumbling sound, etc.)
• The western states of India experience heavy rains during monsoon season each year. Why do you think its citizens mostly stay put even when the signs around them are telling them there could be a natural disaster? (Answers will vary but may include having nowhere to go, having no money for transportation, not wanting to leave family members behind, not knowing for sure if their area will be affected, etc.)

Signs that something is going to happen—good or bad—are given for our benefit. They make us sit up and take notice and respond when it is necessary. Let’s see how God gave mankind a “heads up” to something He was going to do.

• In an instance such as the landslide we saw earlier, what signs would have told you that it was time to go? (Accept all reasonable answers. Students may mention changes in landscape, unusual sounds, a faint rumbling sound, etc.)
• The western states of India experience heavy rains during monsoon season each year. Why do you think its citizens mostly stay put even when the signs around them are telling them there could be a natural disaster? (Answers will vary but may include having nowhere to go, having no money for transportation, not wanting to leave family members behind, not knowing for sure if their area will be affected, etc.)

Signs that something is going to happen—good or bad—are given for our benefit. They make us sit up and take notice and respond when it is necessary. Let’s see how God gave mankind a “heads up” to something He was going to do.