Protective Actions for Every Hazard
FEMA’s citizen guide contains one section that most readers skim and every household should memorize: a quick-reference of protective actions for 17 specific hazards. Each blurb runs 100 to 500 words, built for the moment the event is happening, not the month before. This post compresses that reference into the moves that matter and links the deep-dive series we already have on this site for the big ones. The numbers are the source’s, not mine: six inches of moving water can knock you off your feet, 12 inches can lift a small car, stay inside for 24 hours after a nuclear explosion, and shelters for tsunamis sit 100 feet above sea level or one mile inland.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as, and should not be considered, legal, medical, or engineering advice. Always follow the instructions of local authorities and emergency management officials.
The Readiness Audit
Could you act correctly in the first 60 seconds of each of these events?
- Green: You know the headline action for the three hazards most likely in your area, and where the deep guidance lives.
- Yellow: You would figure it out from your phone, if the phone works.
- Red: You do not know what Run, Hide, Fight means.
If you are Yellow or Red, read Phase 1 twice.
Phase 1: The Violent-Hazard Moves
Goal: Lock in the actions for hazards that kill in minutes.
Active Shooter: Report suspicious behavior to law enforcement. Run, Hide, or Fight, and know you may use more than one. Run first, warning others and calling 9-1-1 with shooter descriptions. Hide out of view, silence devices, lock and block doors, and spread out along walls rather than grouping. Fight only as a last resort, committing fully. Keep hands visible and empty when police arrive, because their first task is ending the incident. Identify two exits every time you enter a building.
Tornado: Know the signs, a rotating funnel cloud, a debris cloud, or a roar like a freight train. Best shelter is a safe room built to FEMA P-361 or ICC 500 standards. Next best is a small, interior, windowless room on the lowest floor not at risk of flooding. Never stay in mobile homes. During cleanup, wear thick-soled shoes, long pants, and work gloves.
Earthquake: Drop, Cover, and Hold On. Drop to hands and knees, cover your head and neck, hold on until shaking stops. Do not run outside. In bed, stay there and cover with a pillow. In a vehicle, stop clear of buildings, trees, overpasses, and wires.
Flood: Turn Around, Don’t Drown. Six inches of moving water can knock you down, 12 inches can float a small vehicle. Never drive around barricades. If trapped in a building, go to the highest level, avoid closed attics, and signal from the roof if needed. Afterward, never wade floodwater: it hides debris, may be contaminated, and downed lines can charge it electrically.
Hurricane: Plan both evacuation and sheltering before season. Know your evacuation zone and routes. Gather three days of supplies per person, including medication and pet needs. If told to go, leave immediately and never drive around barricades.
Tsunami: Learn the signs: an earthquake, a loud roar from the ocean, or water suddenly rising or draining to expose the sea floor. Move 100 feet above sea level or one mile inland. Return only when authorities clear it.
Wildfire: Remove fuel sources within 30 feet of the property, thin vegetation out to 100 feet, and clear tree canopies that connect within 200 feet of structures. Evacuate immediately when the notice comes so routes do not close. Keep N95 respirators fitted and ready. Avoid hot ash and ground heat pockets after the fire.
Volcanic Eruption: Evacuate immediately on orders, avoiding areas downwind and river valleys downstream. If sheltering in place, seal doors, windows, and vents against ash. Avoid driving in heavy ashfall, which clogs engines. Wear goggles, not contacts, plus long sleeves, and keep N95 respirators in the kit.
Winter Storm: Insulate and weather-strip the home. Keep a car kit with jumper cables, sand, a flashlight, water, and snacks, and keep the tank full. Watch for frostbite and hypothermia. If trapped in the vehicle, stay in it. Generators and grills only outdoors, and never heat with a gas oven.
Landslide: Know the warning signs: new cracks in ground or foundations, soaked soil, tilting doors and fences, and rumbling sounds. Move away from the path, avoiding ledges, steep slope bases, ravines, and narrow canyons. Watch for floods afterward, since the same event often causes both.
The Takeaway: Each of these is 30 seconds of recall if you have read it before and a lifetime of regret if you have not. This site carries full series on floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, tsunamis, volcanic eruptions, landslides, heatwaves, and blizzards.
Phase 2: The Slow-Hazard Moves
Goal: Cover the hazards that unfold over hours or days.
Extreme Heat: Stay indoors with working air conditioning, block sun with shades, and wear light, loose clothing. Never leave a child, adult, or animal alone in a vehicle on a warm day. Know the heat stroke signs: extremely high body temperature, hot and red skin, dizziness, confusion, and a rapid strong pulse. Call 9-1-1, move the person somewhere cooler, cool them with a bath, sponging, ice packs, or cold wet sheets, and do not give them anything to drink.
Power Outage: Inventory what in your home depends on electricity, especially life-sustaining medical equipment, and make backup and relocation plans. Keep devices charged with backup charging methods. Use flashlights, not candles. Generators and camp stoves go outdoors at least 20 feet from windows. Throw out food exposed to 40 degrees or higher for two hours or more, and discard refrigerated medication after a day without power unless the label says otherwise.
Thunderstorm, Lightning, and Hail: When thunder roars, go indoors. Sturdy buildings and enclosed metal-roof vehicles work, sheds, gazebos, dugouts, and convertibles do not. Avoid running water and landline phones during storms. Unplug chargers when the storm arrives.
Pandemics: Wash hands for 20 seconds, or use sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol. Keep six feet from sick people, wear a covering over mouth and nose in public, and disinfect touched surfaces daily.
Cyberattack: Update software and operating systems, use strong passwords with two-factor authentication, and back up files encrypted. Watch for messages demanding immediate action or offering too-good-to-be-true deals. Limit personal information online and change Wi-Fi admin passwords regularly.
Avalanche: Travel in pairs with a guide who knows the area. Sign up for avalanche danger alerts. Avoid slopes steeper than 30 degrees. Wear a helmet and avalanche beacon, carry a probe and shovel, and if someone is buried, call 9-1-1 and begin the search.
Nuclear Explosion: Get inside the nearest building, underground or deep in brick or concrete structures, away from outer walls and roofs. Stay inside 24 hours unless told otherwise. Remove contaminated clothing and wash unprotected skin. Keep a battery or crank radio, since phones and internet may fail. Do not eat or drink anything left uncovered outdoors.
The Takeaway: The slow hazards do their damage through days of bad decisions rather than seconds of impact, which makes them more fixable with preparation than the fast ones. Financial preparedness rounds it out: FEMA’s guide points to the Emergency Financial First Aid Kit for documents, an emergency fund with small bills up to twenties for when cards and ATMs fail, and FloodSmart.gov for flood coverage, since standard policies do not cover flooding.
The Essential Kit Checklist
- The Memorized Three: The headline action for your area’s top three hazards, recalled without looking.
- The Cross-Links: The deep series for your hazards bookmarked from this post.
- The N95s: Several respirators in the kit, each fit tested.
- The Cash: Small bills up to twenties, held where access does not depend on power.
- The 9-1-1 Habit: Location sharing on your phone, so a panicked call still finds you.
Scenario Planner (Contingencies)
“Seventeen hazards is too many to memorize.” The trap: trying to memorize all of it and retaining none. The fix: FEMA’s blurb format exists because the actions are meant to be reviewed, not memorized once. Print the list, and start with your three most likely hazards.
“The hazard map says we are low risk for everything.” The trap: low risk is not no risk, and the guide’s universal actions (assess, fund, plan, practice) apply everywhere. The fix: master the universal five from the previous post and skim the fast-hazard moves anyway, because travel changes your exposure.
Next Steps
- Re-run the Readiness Audit. Scroll back to the top, answer the three questions honestly, and close whichever gap they reveal before you close this tab.
- Print the checklist. The kit list above only works if it exists when the power is out, so paper beats apps here.
- Fold it into the family plan. A prepared household beats prepared person, so put these steps in front of everyone who shares your roof.
Next: Read The Family Emergency Communication Plan to solve the problem every disaster creates: reaching the people you love.
Adapted from Federal Emergency Management Agency - Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness (public domain). Read the original: Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness.