---
title: Protect the child, and protect yourself from El Niño
description: "Elaine King, CFP®, remembers an El Niño summer in Lima and shares three double protections: travel insurance, medicine and two piggy banks."
---

[Wealth Management Blog | Elaine King](https://www.elaineking.com/blog)

# [Protect the child, and protect yourself from El Niño](https://www.elaineking.com/blog/protect-the-child-and-protect-yourself-from-el-niño)

 Written by [Elaine](https://www.elaineking.com/blog/author/elaine) | Nov 9, 2026, 12:29:15 AM

*There was a summer when the water came one hour a day. Here’s what I want your children to know now that El Niño is back.*

*By Elaine King Fuentes, CFP®, TEP*

 

There was a summer when the water came one hour a day. We filled the tub and buckets so we could bathe and wash our hands.

The heat wouldn’t quit, and it lasted into the fall. There was no milk at the supermarket. In Lima, where it almost never rains, that’s how I learned what scarcity was.

It was El Niño. Peruvian fishermen named it centuries ago, after the Christ Child, because the warm current arrived near Christmas. This year it’s right on time.

Peru’s national El Niño committee, ENFEN, has warned this event could be more devastating than 1997-1998, which according to Peru’s Central Bank cost the country close to 3% of its output. NOAA expects it to stay strong to very strong into 2027, with ripple effects on weather and food prices around the world.

We can’t stop it, but we can prepare. Here are three double protections: they protect you from El Niño and protect your child.

**1. The Insurance Almost Everyone Forgets**

Protect yourself from El Niño: if you’re traveling for the holidays, buy international travel insurance that covers medical emergencies and evacuation. It’s the most overlooked policy there is. Recently I heard of someone who traveled, had a medical emergency and ended up paying almost $50,000 out of pocket.

Before you buy a policy, check whether your credit card already includes one. Some cards offer travel insurance when you pay for the trip with them, and many people don’t know it. Just confirm what it covers, how much, and whether your family is included.

And think about this: if heavy rain floods the place where you’re on vacation and the airport closes, without insurance the extra hotel nights, the flight change or the evacuation are on you. During the last coastal El Niño, in 2023, Peru also recorded more than 256,000 dengue cases, according to Peru’s CDC.

Protect the child: make sure your children are included on the policy. And put in writing who would care for them if you couldn’t. It’s one afternoon of work and years of peace of mind.

***In short: Insurance is bought before you need it, never after.***

**2. What Arrives by Truck**

Protect yourself from El Niño: when a mudslide cuts a highway, the first things to run out are whatever travels by truck. That’s why there was no milk that summer. Today the most sensitive items are medicines. Talk to your doctor about refilling prescriptions early and keeping a small supply of what you take every day. Calmly buy what you know you’ll need to replace, without hoarding.

Protect the child: include their medicines, like an inhaler or vitamins. And if you store water in buckets, as we did, keep them covered. Standing water is where dengue mosquitoes breed.

***In short: Whatever depends on a truck gets bought before the rain.***

**3. Two Piggy Banks**

Protect yourself from El Niño: build a small fund for weather surprises. Saving isn’t a number, it’s a percentage: less when the cows are lean, more when they’re fat.

Protect the child: give them a second piggy bank. One is for saving toward something they want. The other is for emergencies, and it stays untouched. It’s the tub and the buckets in miniature: one to use today, one for when things run short. A child who sees two piggy banks understands in a second what takes many adults years.

Here’s a challenge: post a photo of your children’s two piggy banks with #TwoPiggyBanks. I’d love to see them.

***In short: One piggy bank for dreams, one for staying safe.***

To this day, every time I turn on the tap, I think of those buckets.

**You can’t stop El Niño. But you can protect your niño.**

What do you remember about El Niño? Tell me in the comments.

**Frequently asked questions**

**Why is it called El Niño?**

Centuries ago, Peruvian fishermen noticed the sea warming near Christmas. They named the current El Niño, after the Christ Child.

**Do I need international travel insurance?**

If you’re traveling, it’s strongly worth considering. A medical emergency abroad can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Make sure it covers every family member, including children.

**What should travel insurance cover?**

At a minimum, medical emergencies and evacuation. Many policies also cover weather-related cancellations or delays. Read the fine print and confirm it includes every family member.

**Does my credit card include travel insurance?**

Some do, especially if you pay for the trip with the card. Check your card’s benefits or call your bank to learn what it covers, how much, and whether it includes your family.

**What should I buy before El Niño?**

Whatever depends on transportation and you’ll definitely need, especially daily medicines, with your doctor’s guidance. There’s no need to hoard food.

**How do I teach my child to save for emergencies?**

With two piggy banks: one for something they want and one for emergencies that stays untouched. Seeing them side by side helps them understand the difference.

**What was the 1997-1998 El Niño?**

One of the strongest of the last century. According to Peru’s Central Reserve Bank, it cost about 2.9% of GDP in lost output.

 

**Want to prepare your family for this El Niño? Share this article or schedule a conversation at elaineking.com.**

*Elaine King Fuentes, CFP®, TEP, was born in Lima and is the founder of Family and Money Matters™. The author of eight books on family and money, she works from Miami with families, business owners and women in transition. She has appeared on Telemundo, CNN and Taking Stock from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, and was named one of Forbes Perú’s 50 Most Powerful Women of 2025.*

*Educational content only. Not individualized financial, legal or insurance advice. Coverage and waiting periods vary by policy and country. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.*

 

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