Not medical advice. If you or someone in your family is struggling, call or text the Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 (SAMHSA, 24/7). In an emergency, call 911.
What it's for
A long outage wears on people more than gear. Ready.gov says disasters affect everyone who goes through them in some way, and that it's normal to feel anxious about your family's safety. The Ramrod's job here is simple: keep a routine, keep people rested, keep night-time light and heat safe, and keep spirits up.
Before you need it (practice)
- Pack the morale kit. Ready.gov's kit list includes books, games, puzzles, or other activities for children, and a sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Ours has a deck of cards, a pocket dice game, and a kids' activity kit.
- Light for everyone. Ready.gov says have flashlights for every household member. We use headlamps and a lantern.
- CO alarms with battery backup. Ready.gov says install carbon monoxide detectors with battery backup in central locations on every level of your home. See our CO alarm.
- Try a "lights-out night" at home: lanterns, cards, no screens. You'll learn what you're missing.
Step by step
1. Set a daily routine
Ready.gov and the CDC both say to keep up normal routines for meals, rest, play, school, and work as best you can. Write a simple day on the whiteboard or in the binder: meals, chores, a game, bedtime. A watch keeps the schedule when phones are saved for calls.
2. Give everyone a job
Ready.gov suggests giving children specific chores so they feel they're helping, and praising responsible behavior. Kids can run lantern duty or keep the radio log.
3. Keep night-time light and heat safe
- Lanterns and headlamps, not open flame, are our pick for after dark.
- Never heat the house with a gas stove or oven (Ready.gov). It raises the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and fire.
- Generators, camp stoves, and charcoal grills go outdoors only, at least 20 feet from windows (Ready.gov). Ready.gov's generator guidance adds doors and attached garages to that list.
- Bundle up instead. Sleeping bags and blankets for each person (Ready.gov kit list). See Setting Up a Tent and a Warm Sleep System for how ratings and pads work.
- If it's too cold or hot to stay, Ready.gov says go to a community location with power, and check with local officials about heating and cooling centers.
4. Look after sleep
- Keep the same bedtime as best you can (routine, above).
- Ready.gov suggests extra time with children at bedtime, and plenty of hugs.
- The CDC notes trouble sleeping is a common reaction in kids after a disaster. Be patient with it.
5. Watch the news diet
Ready.gov and the CDC both advise limiting children's exposure to disaster coverage. If kids do watch, be with them to talk it through. Ready.gov suggests adults limit their own anxious news intake too.
6. Talk, and get help if it lingers
- Ready.gov: talk with someone about your feelings, spend time with family and friends, and accept help from community programs.
- The CDC says consider talking to a professional if a child stays anxious, fearful, sad, or angry for more than two to four weeks, if things get worse, or if it disrupts school or relationships.
- The Disaster Distress Helpline (call or text 1-800-985-5990) offers free crisis counseling 24/7 to anyone in the U.S. affected by a disaster (SAMHSA). For shelters and local resources, call 211.
Common mistakes
- Letting the days run together. A routine helps more than you'd think.
- Heating with the kitchen stove. Don't.
- A generator in the garage "with the door open." Ready.gov says outdoors, 20 feet from windows, doors, and attached garages.
- TV news on all day with kids in the room.
Care & storage
- Keep the morale kit with the main kit; swap in new games now and then so they're fresh.
- Test CO alarms and replace batteries per the maker.
- Check headlamp and lantern batteries at each rotation (see Headlamps, Batteries, Solar Charging, and Faraday Storage).
Related gear
- Deck of cards · Pocket dice game · Kids' activity kit
- LED headlamps · LED camp lantern · Sleeping bag · Digital watch · Carbon monoxide alarm
- Category: Extras · Role: Ramrod
Sources
- Ready.gov, "Coping with Disaster" (normal reactions, easing stress, routines, chores, bedtime, media): https://www.ready.gov/coping-disaster
- CDC, "Helping Children Cope with a Disaster" (routines, sleep, media, when to get help): https://www.cdc.gov/children-and-school-preparedness/before-during-after/helping-children-cope.html
- SAMHSA, Disaster Distress Helpline: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/disaster-distress-helpline
- Ready.gov, "Power Outages" (flashlights, CO detectors, no gas stove for heat, generator distance, community locations): https://www.ready.gov/power-outages
- Ready.gov, "Build A Kit" (activities for children, sleeping bag or blanket per person): https://www.ready.gov/kit
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