crisis_response

Shelter-in-Place: 2-12 Weeks Home Without Outside Support

Test your household's ability to stay home for extended periods without outside support.

2 weeks to 3+ months depending on cause
Typical Duration
Rare but increasing - pandemics, extreme weather, social disruption
Occurrence
High - complete self-sufficiency required, no external support available
Severity
0 of 8 scenes complete

The Lockdown Begins

Government orders shelter-in-place. Stay home. Essential travel only. Or maybe you decide: outside is too dangerous, better to stay put.

Last grocery run: stores mobbed, shelves stripped, people panicking. You got some things. Not everything. Too late now.

Kids home from school indefinitely. Adults working remotely if jobs allow. Everyone together 24/7 in finite space.

Routine collapses immediately. No commute. No school bell. No structure. This is day one. How many weeks can you sustain?

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Who lives in your household? (Check all that apply)

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What consumables do you have stockpiled? (Check all with 30+ day supply)

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The Adjustment Phase

Week two. Routine establishing by necessity. Scheduled wake times, meal times, activity blocks.

Kids needing stimulation. Parents attempting homeschool. Work calls interrupted by children. Spouse stressed from constant togetherness.

Food variety disappearing. Eating from pantry now. Rice, beans, pasta, canned goods. Fresh produce gone.

Supplies depleting faster than expected. Snacking from boredom. Kids using way more toilet paper than normal. Waste increasing.

Family tensions escalating. Small irritations becoming big fights. No escape valve. No personal space. Everyone on edge.

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What entertainment/mental health resources do you have? (Check all that apply)

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Week 2. Family tension is building. How do you handle it?

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The Grind

Five weeks in. This is normal now. Weird that it's normal.

Storage food primary meals. Same things over and over. Third week of rice and beans. Kids refusing to eat. Adults forcing down meals.

Mental health declining visibly. Depression symptoms. Anxiety spikes. Relationship strain. Domestic tension high. No professional support available.

Financial stress building. Some lost jobs. Bills accumulating. Savings depleting.

But those with neighbor coordination: trading supplies, sharing skills, daily check-ins keeping everyone functional.

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What skills could you share with neighbors during extended shelter? (Check all that apply)

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Neighbors are struggling. Some are running out of supplies. What do you do?

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Sustained Isolation

Two months sheltering. Some households thriving. Others collapsing. The difference: preparation + coordination.

Your coordination network of 4-5 households: rotating entertainment, communal problem-solving, skills sharing.

Children adapted surprisingly well. Know the routine. Video calls with friends sufficient. Found ways to play. Resilience visible.

Prepared households with 6+ month supplies: actually comfortable now. Garden producing. Entertainment sufficient. Financial stable. This is sustainable indefinitely.

Unprepared households: broke shelter orders weeks ago. Risking infection/danger because staying home became impossible.

The Suburban Gap visible: 72-hour standard failed by week 2. 30-day standard uncomfortable but functional. 90-day+ thriving.

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After this exercise, what will you invest in? (Check all that apply)

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What's your shelter-in-place preparation commitment?

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