Situation by situation
Eleven situations, and the first moves for each.
Each entry gives the response, the place in or out of the home, and the first steps, with the source for each step.
Home fire
Get out
Where: Outside, at your meeting place
- Get out right away when the smoke alarm sounds. Crawl low under smoke, and close doors behind you to slow the fire.[11][10]
- Feel a door before opening it. If it is hot or smoke is coming around it, use your second way out.[10]
- Once you are out, stay out. Call 911 from outside and tell the dispatcher about anyone or any pet still inside.[11][10]
- If you cannot get out, close the door, cover vents and cracks with cloth or tape, call 911, and signal at the window with a flashlight or light-colored cloth.[10] NFPA notes that people in high-rise and apartment buildings may be safer staying in place.[11]
Go deeper: Home Fire Preparedness
Tornado warning
Go low and inside
Where: Basement, safe room, or small interior windowless room on the lowest level
- Go immediately to the spot you picked ahead of time: a safe room, a basement, or a small interior room away from windows.[3][2]
- Cover your head and neck with your arms, and put furniture or blankets around or on top of you.[3]
- A mobile home is not safe in a tornado. If you have time, get to a sturdy building.[2]
Go deeper: Tornado preparedness · Tornado shelter steps
Hurricane
Get out, or go low and inside
Where: Out of the evacuation zone, or a storm shelter or interior room
- If you live in a mandatory evacuation zone and officials tell you to leave, leave immediately.[4]
- Storm surge has historically been the leading cause of hurricane deaths in the United States, which is why evacuation zones exist. Know yours before the season.[4]
- If you are not in a zone, take refuge from high winds in a designated storm shelter or an interior room.[4]
Go deeper: Hurricane preparedness
Flood
Get out, or go up
Where: Higher ground, or the highest level of the building
- Evacuate if told to. Otherwise move to higher ground or a higher floor.[5]
- Do not walk, swim, or drive through floodwater. Six inches of moving water can knock you down, and one foot can sweep a vehicle away.[5]
- If you are trapped in a building, go to the highest level. Get on the roof only if necessary, and do not climb into a closed attic, where rising water can trap you.[5]
Go deeper: Flood preparedness
Earthquake
Stay where you are
Where: Under a sturdy table, or against an interior wall away from windows
- Drop to your hands and knees, cover your head and neck, and hold on until the shaking stops.[6]
- If you are inside, stay inside. Do not run outside, and avoid doorways. In bed, turn face down and cover your head and neck with a pillow.[6]
- Afterward, if the building is damaged, go outside, move away from it, and do not go back in. Expect aftershocks. In a tsunami area, go inland or to higher ground as soon as the shaking stops.[6]
Go deeper: Earthquake preparedness · Earthquake steps
Chemical release
Close up and stay in, or get out
Where: An above-ground interior room with few openings
- Listen for instructions. Some toxic chemicals have no odor, and officials may tell you to stay inside or to evacuate depending on the threat.[7]
- If told to stay in: bring pets inside, close and lock windows and doors, close vents and fireplace dampers, and go to an interior room. Seal it with plastic sheeting and duct tape.[7]
- Turn off air conditioning and ventilation, or set it to 100 percent recirculation so no outside air comes in.[7]
- If you are outdoors, move away upwind of the source and get into the nearest building.[7]
Go deeper: Chemical spill preparedness · Sealing a room
Wildfire and smoke
Get out, or close up and stay in
Where: Out of the area, or a closed-off room with a portable air cleaner
- Evacuate immediately when authorities tell you to.[8]
- If you are not ordered out but it is smoky, stay inside or go to a community building where smoke levels are lower.[8]
- Close off one room from outside air and run a portable air cleaner in it. With central air, use a high-efficiency filter and set the system to recirculate with the outdoor intake closed. An N95 mask also limits smoke exposure.[8]
Go deeper: Wildfire preparedness
Radiation emergency
Close up and stay in
Where: A basement or the center of a large, sturdy building
- Get inside, stay inside, and stay tuned. Move away from windows and put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.[9]
- Turn off fans, air conditioning, and forced-air heat that draw in outside air. Close windows, doors, and fireplace dampers.[9]
- Ready.gov says sheltering usually lasts at least 24 hours. Stay unless an immediate hazard such as fire or a gas leak forces you out, or officials say it is safe.[9]
Go deeper: Nuclear and radiation preparedness · Radiation shelter steps
Power outage
Stay home, keep it working
Where: Home, with one room kept warm or cool
- Run a generator only outdoors, at least 20 feet from windows, doors, and attached garages, and never heat the home with a gas stove or oven.[12]
- Use flashlights, not candles.[13]
- Leave for a warming or cooling center if the home gets too hot or too cold, or if someone needs power for a medical device.[13]
Go deeper: Power outage preparedness · Heating and fuel safety
Winter storm and extreme cold
Stay home, keep it working
Where: Home, if it can be heated safely
- Under a winter storm warning, find shelter right away and stay off the roads if at all possible.[15]
- Keep anything that can burn at least 3 feet from a space heater, use battery lights instead of candles, and never heat the home with an oven or stove.[14]
- Know where you will go if the house gets too cold: a friend's home, a public library, or a warming center.[14]
Go deeper: Winter storm preparedness · Heating during outages
Extreme heat
Stay home, keep it working
Where: Home, if it stays cool, or an air-conditioned place
- Use fans only while the indoor temperature stays below 90°F. Above that, a fan can raise body temperature.[16]
- Use air conditioning, or find a place that has it. Dialing 2-1-1 or calling your local health department can locate a cooling center.[16]
- Check on family, friends, and neighbors, especially those who live alone or have chronic medical problems.[16]
Go deeper: Heat wave preparedness · Cooling during outages
