REPRINTED FROM THE DECEMBER/JANUARY 2007 ISSUE OF ADDITUDE MAGAZINE

Weather
the Storm
A three-step plan to
get ready for disasters
of all sorts.

hen it comes to reacting to a Prepare a grab-and-go bag for each family member

1
W flood, hurricane, blackout, or
another disaster, people
with ADHD seem to have a
leg up. Their “can-do” attitude, coupled
with a knack for outside-the-box thinking,
(see below). A grab-and-go bag is a backpack or small
suitcase on wheels that you pack ahead of time, in the
event a disaster forces you to leave town.
In addition to his or her grab-and-go bag, one per-
son in the family should also carry a first-aid kit contain-
ing common over-the-counter medications, as well as a
two-week supply of all prescription drugs used by family
members. (If your insurance will not cover this, buy them
Talking about disasters
can be frightening for
help them make smart decisions in situa- out of pocket.) This person can also be responsible for a
young children. If tions that might overwhelm people who small battery-operated radio, an extra set of keys (car,
you’re unsure how to home, and safety deposit box), and cash.
describe what might think, well, a bit more slowly.
happen in a disaster,
or how your family
Of course, it’s much easier to react to a Grab-and-Go Bag
will respond, go to disaster when you’re prepared for it. Alas, two small bottles of water
fema.gov/kids.
the skills required for disaster prepared- four high-protein, high-calorie energy bars, or a similar
quantity of trail mix, dried fruit, or granola
ness—planning, prioritizing, and organiz-
change of clothes (in a young child’s grab-and-go bag,
ing—aren’t exactly an ADDer’s strong suit. pack extra underwear, as kids under stress tend to have
“accidents”)
No wonder you’ve been putting off making
toothpaste, toothbrush, tampons, razor, and travel-size
the preparations you know are neces- toiletries
sary—the kind that might save a life. lightweight flashlight (with extra batteries in a baggie)
multi-blade knife
Fortunately, I’m here to help. To make it spare pair of eyeglasses
easier for you and your family to get ready antibacterial hand sanitizer
for any disaster that might come your way, plastic bags for food
writing pad, pen or pencil, and disposable camera (so
follow these three steps. you can document emergency expenditures, damage,
By JUDITH KOLBERG, Atlanta-based author of Organize for Disaster and other
repairs, and so on)
books on organization (Squall Press). She can be reached at info@fileheads.net.

To subscribe, visit www.additudemag.com or call toll-free 888-762-8475.

©2007 ADDitude magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited.
 REPRINTED FROM THE DECEMBER/JANUARY 2007 ISSUE OF ADDITUDE MAGAZINE

Create a written communication/reunion plan. One care center, and place one in the glove compartment of

2 of the scariest things about disasters is that they can

leave family members geographically scattered,
making it hard for them to communicate.
each car and another in your grab-and-go bag.

Stock up on provisions, in case your family is forced

To make sure that you and your loved ones can
remain in touch no matter what, create your communi-
cation/reunion plan using the basic form printed below.
Set aside a couple of hours to sit down as a family
to fill it out. If you tend to “zone out” when filling out
forms, have another family member do it for you.
3 to “hunker down” for a while. Remember that the
electricity may go out; in addition to having no
lights, you may be unable to cook, and may have no heat,
air conditioning, television, computer, or working toilet.
Below is a basic list of provisions. Store them in a
closet, a cabinet, or another agreed-upon, easily reached
location in your home.

Family Communication/Reunion Plan

Emergency Supplies
Home phone _________________________________________________
Home address (reunion site #1) _________________________________ three-day supply of basic toiletry items
Mother’s full name ____________________________________________ water (one gallon per toilet tissue and paper
person per day) Disasters cause severe
Mother’s work phone __________________________________________ towels
emotional stress, and
Mother’s cell phone ___________________________________________ water-purification plastic bucket, with a stress aggravates
Mother’s e-mail _______________________________________________ tablets, in case your cover (to use as an ADHD traits, like impul-
Father’s full name _____________________________________________ water supply runs out outdoor toilet) sivity, distractibility,
Father’s work phone __________________________________________ three-day supply of liquid soap, antibacterial and hyperactivity. The
Father’s cell phone ___________________________________________ canned or other nonper- moist towelettes, dis- best way to de-stress
Father’s e-mail _______________________________________________ ishable food for each posable plastic gloves during a disaster is to
Neighbor’s name and address (reunion site #2) ___________________
family member, as well retain as many familiar
as for all pets battery-powered or
_____________________________________________________________ hand-cranked radio routines as possible—
Neighbor’s home phone number ________________________________ disposable forks, knives, homework times,
spoons, cups, plates, one flashlight for each meal times, and so
Reunion site #3 _______________________________________________ family member, with
and napkins on. Exercise and
Out-of-town contact name and address (reunion site #4) extra batteries
bottle opener and man- deep breathing can
_____________________________________________________________ first-aid kit help, too.
Out-of-town contact phone _____________________________________ ual can opener
small camp stove, with whistle
School #1 name and address ___________________________________
School #1 phone ______________________________________________ fuel and matches fire extinguisher
School #2 name and address ___________________________________ digital thermometer tool kit (consisting of a
School #2 phone _____________________________________________ (refrigerated food needs multi-bladed knife, ham-
to be 40 degrees F or mer, Phillips-head
lower, and frozen food 0 screwdriver, flathead
Your plan should include phone numbers and e-mail degrees F or lower) screwdriver, and pliers)
addresses for each family member. Indicate an out-of- plastic bags for garbage reflective tape, to make
town contact whom you can leave messages with and and food-storage clothes, shoes, flash-
retrieve messages from if it’s impossible to call someone one change of clothing lights, or other equip-
in your hometown. Program the numbers into everyone’s and footwear per person ment visible in the dark
cell phones and your landline (corded) phone. Landline one blanket or sleeping landline telephone and
phones often work when cell and cordless phones don’t. bag per person a cell phone with extra
batteries
You should also specify “rolling” reunion sites
where everyone agrees to meet. Reunion site #1 is your
home; everyone who is not at home when disaster It’s a long list, I know. But it should take you only a
strikes should head there as soon as possible. If traveling few hours to buy everything and find a place to store it
to the first site is out of the question, family members all.You may wish to declare a “family preparedness day,”
should head to site #2, site #3, and so on. I recommend on which the whole family gets together to shop for pro-
making site #2 a neighbor’s home, and site #3 a public visions, bring them home, store them, and review your
building, such as a school or a library, situated one to family communication/reunion plan.
three miles from your home.
In case of widespread disaster, it’s wise to designate ADDers tend toward perfectionism, but that can get in the
a fourth reunion site 10 to 20 miles from your home.The way when you’re preparing for disaster. It’s impossible to
home of a relative or a friend might be a good choice. prepare for every contingency. But as long as you pack
Once you fill in all the blanks, make a copy for each grab-and-go bags, prepare a communication plan, and
family member. In addition, post a copy of the plan on assemble your “hunker down” provisions, you’ll have the
your refrigerator, give one to each child’s school or day- basics covered. That’s all you should aim for.

To subscribe, visit www.additudemag.com or call toll-free 888-762-8475.

©2007 ADDitude magazine. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited.