If a chemical or nuclear disaster occurs, your safest option would likely be to shelter in place. This means staying put until the threat passes or evacuating is safe.
To protect yourself while sheltering in place, you need to follow these steps.
- Go inside. Bring pets if possible.
- Shut and lock all exterior doors and windows.
- Also close fireplace and wood stove dampers.
- Tape a sign on an inside window letting first responders know you are inside.
- Turn off fans, AC and furnaces.
- Shut off auto settings on furnaces so they stay off.
- Go to your shelter-in-place room.
- For nuclear disasters, this should be your basement.
- For chemical disasters, an above-ground room is preferred because some chemicals are heavier than air and will sink.
- Keep emergency supplies here.
- Seal room.
- Tape plastic sheeting over all windows, doors, air vents, outlets, phone jacks, or anything else which could allow air into the room.
- Put damp roll-up towels under door cracks.
- Listen to your emergency radio for further information.
Check out our ebook for more simple-to-use survival cheat sheets like this.
Also read: Fallout Shelters Near Me (Locations and Options)
