Prepare for disruption.
Protect what matters.

• Before: list essentials requiring electricity (medical equipment, refrigerator, water pump, heating controls). Make a provider-reviewed backup plan for medical needs.
• Build an accessible stock of potable water, familiar shelf-stable food, medications as prescribed, manual can opener, flashlights, batteries, charged power banks and a battery/hand-crank radio.
• Set up a safe way to obtain news without Wi-Fi or cell service; keep printed contacts and some cash for outages affecting card systems.
• During: preserve battery power and check local official notices. Use flashlights over candles. Never run generators, charcoal grills or camp stoves indoors or in garages. Keep fuel-powered generators outdoors at least 20 feet from windows, doors and vents, with exhaust directed away from openings, and use working carbon-monoxide alarms. CDC generator safety guidance.
• Refrigerated perishable food is generally safe for about 4 hours in an unopened fridge; a full unopened freezer about 48 hours (24 hours half-full). Use a thermometer and current official food-safety guidance.
• Plan where to go if home becomes dangerously cold/hot or power-dependent medical needs cannot be met. Do not assume solar panels or a power bank will operate heating appliances.

Official references: American Red Cross: power outage · CDC backup power

1. If outdoors after a nuclear or radiological emergency, enter the nearest safe substantial building quickly. A car is poor fallout protection. Do not delay to retrieve supplies from far away.
2. Move to a basement or an inner room far from exterior walls/windows and roof. Keep doors and windows closed and follow instructions about ventilation.
3. Stay sheltered for at least 24 hours when directed; follow officials for when to move or evacuate, as hazards and shelter needs vary by event.
4. If exposed to fallout dust, remove the outer clothing carefully (this can eliminate up to 90% of radioactive material), bag and isolate it; wash exposed skin/hair gently with soap and water and put on clean clothing.
5. Use sealed or already-inside food/drinks. Wipe possibly contaminated container exteriors before opening. Follow official water testing/boil advisories.
6. Critical: boiling does not remove radioactive material. Common hiking filter straws are not proof against radioactive contamination or dissolved chemicals. Keep sealed bottled water.
7. Do not take potassium iodide unless public health authorities or a clinician specifically direct its use. It does not protect against all radionuclides or blast injury.

No equipment guarantees survival from a nuclear blast. Distance, shielding, time indoors, contamination control and authoritative instructions are more important than an advertised “anti-radiation” gadget.

Official references: CDC: Preparing for a Radiation Emergency · CDC: Food and drinking water · CDC: Decontamination

• Learn recognized public shelters and local alert systems in advance; follow evacuation, shelter and all-clear instructions from authorities.
• If you hear explosions, sirens or credible air-threat alerts, move away from windows and exposed spaces into a sturdy structure, basement or protected interior space where available.
• Avoid approaching crash debris, unexploded devices, unusual packages or a downed drone. Keep others away and report hazards to emergency services from a safe location.
• Have sturdy shoes, flashlight, first aid, essential medications and a paper contact plan close to shelter; protect children, pets and anyone with limited mobility.
• After a blast, assess immediate structural dangers before moving; avoid damaged buildings, smoke, broken glass and downed power lines. Follow responder directions.
• Do not use radio-frequency jammers or attempt to intercept aircraft; these are hazardous and may be unlawful. Consumer “anti-drone” gadgets are not substitutes for proper shelter.

For ordinary households, “low profile” means keeping private family locations and preparedness inventories off public social media—not tactical stealth, evading responders or trying to outsmart drone sensors.

Official references: UK Government: civilian air-alert safety · Australian Government: explosions and shelter · Ready.gov: emergency alerts

• Use a planning baseline of one gallon per person per day for drinking and basic hygiene, increasing for heat, medical needs and pets. The Red Cross recommends three days for evacuation and two weeks for home.
• For drinking water after a known microbiological contamination event, follow public-health instructions on boiling/disinfection. If chemicals, fuel, toxins or radioactive material are suspected, do not assume boiling or ordinary filtration makes it safe.
• Compare portable products by what they are tested to remove: a microfilter may remove bacteria/protozoa but not viruses; some membrane purifiers address viruses. Review lab reports and exact NSF certifications rather than broad marketing.
• Plan water needed to rehydrate dehydrated meals. Keep clean containers, storage treatment/rotation instructions and a separate fallback for winter freezing.

Read our full safe-water field guide and compare water treatment gear.

Official references: CDC emergency water · NSF: treatment standards · Red Cross: supplies

• Build familiar pantry supplies first: canned beans, ready-to-eat proteins, vegetables, nut butters, crackers, oatmeal and foods compatible with allergies and diet.
• Compare commercial buckets by total calories, actual full-day meals, preparation water, cooking fuel and sodium—not the largest serving count.
• Plan safe waste handling, hand hygiene, soap, trash bags, disposable gloves, menstrual/infant supplies and pet sanitation. Keep clean/dirty zones separated.
• Use food thermometers and current outage guidelines; do not trust smell to identify unsafe refrigerated food.
• Store important medicines according to the pharmacist's directions, especially during temperature extremes and refrigeration failure.

Estimate household supplies and compare emergency food.

Official references: FoodSafety.gov: disasters · Ready.gov: basic kit

• Keep a NOAA Weather Radio for weather alerts, plus an AM/FM radio and spare batteries. Broadcast availability depends on local infrastructure and event type.
• Write down out-of-area family contacts, two meeting places, school/caregiver emergency rules and important account/support phone numbers.
• Keep offline maps, printed checklists and non-sensitive copies of essential paperwork protected from water.
• Choose a communication protocol that works with no internet: when to text/call, whom to contact, where to wait safely and what official alert channels to monitor.
• Never publish filled-out family worksheets, children's locations or household supply inventories on public sites.

Open our free printable family communications guide.

Official references: Ready.gov: family plans · NOAA Weather Radio

• Keep a light, accessible go-bag: water, easy food, prescriptions, first aid, flashlight, radio, charging cable/power bank, shoes, seasonal clothing, documents and cash.
• Prepare pet carriers, leashes, food, care contacts and safe transport.
• Know two routes from home and an official alternate shelter location, but do not use an unverified crowd-sourced route during active closures.
• Plan for staying put when instructed; an emergency is not always a signal to drive away immediately.
• Prioritize mutual aid, responsible sharing and family privacy; do not advertise where valuable gear is stored.

Open the free evacuation worksheet.

Official references: American Red Cross kit · Ready.gov plan