Shelter
Staying Safe in a Disaster Shelter
A disaster shelter keeps you safe from the hazard. These steps keep you safe inside the shelter.
WHEN YOU ARRIVE
What to do in the first hour.
Going to a disaster shelter is a capable decision. You identified that home was no longer safe, and you moved to a place that is. The shelter's job is to provide physical safety and basic needs. Your job is to keep your household healthy, organized, and ready to move to the next step when conditions improve.
Register and communicate
Check in with shelter staff. Provide accurate contact information. Let your out-of-area contact know your location and status so separated household members can find you.
Report medical needs
CDC recommends letting shelter staff know about significant health conditions, pregnancy, allergies, asthma, diabetes, medications, and medical equipment needs. This is not about sharing private information publicly. It helps staff assign appropriate space and anticipate needs.
Locate essentials
Find the restrooms, water, food distribution area, first aid station, charging stations if available, and exits. Knowing where things are reduces stress for every member of the household, especially children.
Set up your space
Keep your go-bag close. Organize medications, identification, and important documents where you can access them. Claim a quiet corner if possible, especially with children or older adults. A small amount of order goes a long way in an unfamiliar environment.
STAYING HEALTHY
Hygiene in a shared space.
A shelter concentrates many people in close quarters. Basic hygiene practices become more important, not less.
Handwashing
CDC recommends washing hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, frequently and especially before eating, after using the restroom, after coughing or sneezing, and after touching shared surfaces. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer (60% alcohol or higher) when soap and clean water are not available.
Bring your own soap and hand sanitizer if your go-bag includes them. Do not assume the shelter will have unlimited supplies of either.
Food and water
CDC advises eating only food from safe sources and drinking only water provided by the shelter or marked as safe. Do not drink water from taps, fountains, or faucets unless shelter staff confirm it is safe. If you brought your own water supply, use it for drinking, medication, and infant formula.
Do not share food, drinks, or utensils with other shelter residents when possible. This is a practical hygiene measure, not unfriendliness.
Illness
If anyone in your household feels sick, let shelter staff know. They can help with medical resources and, in some shelters, can arrange separation to reduce the chance of spreading illness to others in the shared space.
Consider wearing a well-fitting mask, especially if respiratory illness is circulating. Good airflow through the shelter helps reduce transmission of airborne illnesses.
Personal items
CDC recommends avoiding sharing personal items such as bedding, towels, and toiletries when possible. If the shelter provides cots or sleeping surfaces, use your own bedding from your go-bag if you have it. Clean shared surfaces in your space with disinfectant wipes if available.
Source: CDC, Guidelines for Staying Safe at a Disaster Shelter, updated April 17, 2026.
SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS
Children, medical needs, and animals.
Supervising children
A disaster shelter is an unfamiliar environment with unfamiliar people, exits, and hazards. Keep children supervised at all times. Establish clear boundaries about where they can go in the facility. Younger children may need extra reassurance; older children may need something to do.
If your household includes infants, bring supplies for diaper changing and maintain hand hygiene before and after every change. Shelter diaper-changing areas may be limited or improvised.
Medications and medical equipment
Keep medications in your possession, not in a communal area. Maintain your medication schedule as closely as possible. If you need refrigeration for temperature-sensitive medications, ask shelter staff whether refrigerated storage is available. See our refrigerated medications guide for more on keeping temperature-sensitive drugs viable.
If you use electrically powered medical equipment (CPAP, oxygen concentrator, nebulizer), tell shelter staff immediately so they can help identify a power source. If the shelter cannot safely power your equipment, ask staff for help arranging a transfer to a facility that can.
Pets and service animals
Service animals are generally permitted in disaster shelters under federal law. Pets may not be. Many communities operate separate pet-friendly shelters or co-located animal sheltering during disasters. Check with local emergency management before assuming your pet cannot be accommodated.
Do not abandon an evacuation because of uncertainty about pet access. Use official local information rather than unverified social media posts about shelter policies.
Older adults and people with disabilities
Shelters should be accessible, but conditions during disasters are not always ideal. If a household member has mobility, hearing, vision, or cognitive limitations, let staff know so they can help with placement near restrooms, exits, or medical support. If the shelter cannot accommodate a critical need, ask about transfer to a special-needs shelter or medical facility.
THE STAY
Making the stay manageable.
Stay informed
Shelter staff typically have access to official updates about the hazard, road conditions, and when it is safe to return home. Ask for updates rather than relying solely on social media. Conserve your phone battery for essential communication and official information.
Follow shelter procedures
Shelters run on a shared set of rules that exist because many strangers are sharing a small space under stress. Quiet hours, food distribution schedules, and entry/exit procedures exist for everyone's safety. Following them is not compliance for its own sake. It keeps the space functional for every household there.
Prepare for the transition home
Before leaving the shelter, confirm through official sources that it is safe to return. Do not re-enter a home with obvious structural damage, standing water, downed power lines, or gas smell. The shelter kept you safe from the event. The next step is making sure the home is safe to re-enter. Our recovery section covers what comes next.