Household readiness · WD-01
Ten systems. One household.
A field manual for the week the power, the tap, or the road does not cooperate. The steps come from public agency pages, and each chapter names the page. If this book and that page ever disagree, the agency wins.
The ten systems
All 40 guides- 01WaterStore it, shut it off, make more safePriority
- 02PowerLight, phones, cold food, no carbon monoxidePriority
- 03ShelterFire, heat, freeze, and a roof that holdsPriority
- 04FoodCalories that do not need a working fridgeAssess
- 05MedicalKit, medicines, hygiene, when to callAssess
- 06CommsWarnings, a paper list, a meeting placeAssess
- 07SafetyAlarms, locks, and nothing posted onlineAssess
- 08MobilityGo-bag, fuel, two routes, pets includedAssess
- 09PeopleRoles at home and someone outside itAssess
- 10MoneyCash, papers, and a clean claim laterAssess
Hazards on this ground
National guidance stays the same in every state. Local orders and briefings for Arizona come from Arizona Department of Emergency Management. Heat, monsoon water, and dust are called out because that is the weather here.
FEMA National Risk Index: hazards for Arizona
Costliest natural hazards (expected annual loss)
Rated relatively high or very high risk in at least one county
Lightning, Wildfire, Heat wave, River flooding, Winter weather, Drought, Hail, Strong wind, Earthquake
It does not cover nuclear, chemical, cyber, attack, unrest, financial, or pandemic hazards.
Dust storms are not an NRI hazard. The dust chapter stays, from its NWS source.
Hazard · Reaction time
Nuclear survival guide
What to notice, what to do in the first minutes, and how long to stay in. Official steps from Ready.gov, CDC, and FEMA’s fallout-shelter sheet.
Hazard · Desert summer
Extreme heat
Heat is a medical emergency with a slow start. In Arizona it is the hazard that shows up every year.
Hazard · Moving water
Flood and monsoon water
NWS Turn Around Don't Drown: 6 inches of fast-moving flood water can knock over an adult. 12 inches of rushing water can carry away most cars. Washes that were dry at noon are not a trail at dusk.
Hazard · Leave early
Wildfire and smoke
Embers travel farther than the front you can see. Smoke is its own emergency, even downtown.
Hazard · Cold snaps
Freeze and broken pipes
Arizona still freezes. A burst pipe at 3 a.m. is a water emergency and a shelter emergency together.
Hazard · Pull aside
Dust storms
If you cannot see the road, you are not late. You are stopped. Lights off, foot off the brake.
Hazard · Drop, cover, hold on
Earthquake
Arizona is not California. It is also not zero. The action in the first seconds is the same.
Hazard · Wind and surge
Hurricanes and tropical storms
Water kills more than wind. Know your evacuation zone before the cone is on the news.
Hazard · Minutes, not hours
Tornadoes
A watch means get ready. A warning means go to the room you already picked.
Hazard · Snow, ice, wind chill
Winter storms and extreme cold
Stay off the roads if you can. If the car gets stuck, stay with the car.
Hazard · Ash
Volcanoes and ashfall
Ash travels farther than lava. Sign up for the warnings, then stay inside when told.
Hazard · Go high, go inland
Tsunamis
If the ground shakes hard at the coast, the earthquake is the warning. Do not wait for a siren.
Hazard · Weeks, not days
Pandemics and outbreaks
Plan for closed schools and a long stay home. Share only information you can source.
Hazard · Slow water
Drought and water shortage
Drought does not arrive with a siren. It arrives with a utility notice. Waste less now.
Hazard · Air you can't see
Chemical and hazardous-material releases
Some toxic chemicals have no smell. Go upwind, or go in and seal one room — whichever officials say.
Hazard · Seconds
Active attacks and explosions
Know the exits before you need them. Run first. Hide if you can't. Fight only as a last resort.
Hazard · Accounts and grid
Cyberattacks and scams
Most damage starts with one click. Lock down the accounts that hold your money and your identity.
Hazard · Crowds
Civil unrest and protests
Stay away, stay informed, and tell family you're okay early. Phones and roads may go down.
Hazard · The bank, the job, the shelf
Financial shock and economic disruption
Cash in small bills, papers you can grab, and food you already rotate. That is the official version.
Skill sheets
Skill · Carry it
The 72-hour go-bag
One bag per person who can carry one. Water, meds, papers, a light. Everything else is optional until those are in.
Skill · Eat what you store
A two-week pantry
Count meals, not vibes. Rotate what you cook on ordinary Tuesdays.
Skill · Names and places
Family communication plan
Two meeting spots. One out-of-area voice. Every adult can say them without looking at a phone.
Skill · Proof
Papers you can grab
A folder you can carry beats a filing cabinet you cannot reach. Copies are enough to start a claim.
Skill · Health
Sanitation when the toilet quits
Hands first. Waste second. A clean method beats a clever one you will not actually use.
Skill · They come too
Pets in the plan
If the animal is family on a normal day, it is family on the worst day. Pack for them before you need to.
Skill · Extra time
Infants, elders, and access
The basic kit assumes an adult who can carry it. Adjust for the people who actually live here.
Skill · The clock
Food safety in a blackout
Four hours for the fridge. About a day or two for the freezer. Then the food is not a debate.
Skill · After
Coming back home
Wait until officials say the area is open. Then photos, utilities, and spoiled food — in that spirit of order.
Skill · People
The week after, in your head
Fear, irritability, and bad sleep are common. They are also a reason to use a real helpline, not to tough it out alone.
Skill · Get taught
Free training worth your Saturdays
A manual can point. A class can correct your hands. These are the public courses, not a private club.
Check
Thirty questions
Score the ten systems. No inventory of your house leaves this browser.
Agencies
Who to call and read
911, 988, FEMA, NWS, CDC, Red Cross, and the Arizona desk.
Paper
Print the whole book
Or save it as a PDF from the print dialog. Each guide can do the same alone.