Chapter 11: Big Weather & Earth
Lily: "Ground shakes? Drop, cover, hold on!"
The earth and the sky can do big things: shake, storm, flood, burn and get very hot or cold. Rangers learn one action for each one, practise it with a grown-up, and always stay with their crew.
What Rangers know
| When this happens | Rangers do this |
|---|---|
| Earthquake (the ground shakes) | Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck under a sturdy table, or by an inside wall with your arms, and hold on until the shaking stops. Outside: move away from walls, poles, trees and wires, then drop and cover. Don't run outside during shaking. |
| After an earthquake | Go out carefully with your grown-up. Stay out of cracked or broken buildings. Never climb on rubble. Expect small shakes after; drop, cover and hold on again. |
| Big wave from the sea (tsunami) | If you're near the sea and the ground shakes hard for a long time, or the sea suddenly pulls far back, go to high ground or far inland straight away with your grown-up. Don't wait to watch. |
| Thunder and lightning | If you hear thunder, lightning is close enough. Go inside a solid building or a closed car. Stay away from water, tall trees, metal poles and hilltops. Wait 30 minutes after the last thunder before going back outside. |
| Big wind, hurricane or tornado | Go to the strongest inside room on the lowest floor, away from windows; cover your head. In a tent, go to the shelter your camp helpers point to. |
| Flood | Water rising? Climb up high. Never walk, play or ride in flood water (see Chapter 5). |
| Landslide / mudslide | Listen for rumbling, cracking trees or rocks falling. Move away from the path of the slide, uphill and to the side, with your grown-up. |
| Wildfire and smoke | Leave when grown-ups or helpers say so; don't wait. Cover your nose and mouth with a cloth, stay low in smoke, and stay together. |
| Very hot day | Shade, water, rest. Play in the cool morning or evening. Wear a hat and light clothes. Never stay in a closed car or closed tent in the heat, and never leave anyone else there. |
| Too hot: body signs | Headache, dizzy, very red or very pale, sick tummy, or no sweat when hot: stop, shade, sip water, put a cool wet cloth on, tell a grown-up. Confused or fainting means get help fast. |
| Very cold | Layers, dry socks, hat; more under you than on top (Chapter 5). Shivering that won't stop: tell a grown-up. |
Every disaster: stay with your grown-up and your buddy. Go to your meeting place if you get apart (Chapter 3), take your go bag (Card #GB1) only if it's right by the door, and listen to camp helpers.
Ranger checklist
- ☐ I can show drop, cover, hold on.
- ☐ I know to stay out of broken buildings after a quake.
- ☐ I know: big shake by the sea, or the sea pulls back → go high now.
- ☐ I go inside when I hear thunder.
- ☐ I know the strongest room or shelter for big winds.
- ☐ I know the signs of being too hot and what to do.
- ☐ I never stay in a closed car or tent in the heat.
- ☐ I know my meeting place.
Earn your badge (Weather Ready ⛈️, new area)
| Level | Requirement |
|---|---|
| ❤️ Heart | Say: "Ground shakes? Drop, cover, hold on!" |
| 🥉 Bronze | Show drop, cover, hold on; say one action for thunder, wind and heat. |
| 🥈 Silver | Practise an earthquake or storm drill with your family or group. |
| 🥇 Gold | Help make the family's disaster plan card: meeting place, strong room, high ground. |
| 💎 Platinum | Ages 12+: help a grown-up run a drill for a group or class. |
Watch and learn
- EP13 High Ground, Stay Out (#013)
- EP09–11 warmth episodes (#009–#011)
- Go Bag #GB1
- Planned: Booms in the Night; Safe Sleep Spot
- Hygiene reel HY09 Happy Feet (heat and wet)
Grown-up note
Learn your area's main hazards and warning systems (sirens, radio, camp loudspeakers), and practise drills when calm. Plan for children with disabilities and older people (who helps whom). Heat illness can kill quickly in babies, older people and anyone in closed vehicles or tents. Never use generators, stoves or heaters indoors after a storm (carbon monoxide).
Fact-checked Oct 21, 2026, approved by David McKellips.