Decisions and actions
Make the dependency visible
List prescribed treatments, allergies, medical devices, care schedules, mobility needs, clinicians, pharmacies, and how many days of medication remain. Include backup power or refrigeration dependencies without assuming ordinary coolers or household generators are clinically adequate. Store the list offline and share it only with authorized caregivers. Contact healthcare professionals proactively if a clinic, pharmacy, insurer or transit route becomes unreliable.
Write down: A clinician can help determine legitimate alternatives; do not self-adjust critical drug dosing.
Identify dangerous combinations
Power loss can compromise oxygen devices, elevators, refrigeration, water pumps and sewage handling. Crowded shelters without toilets or handwashing introduce new health risks. Water can flow from a tap while being unsafe; follow actual public-health notices and the contaminant-specific advice they provide. Indoor fuel-burning equipment can produce fatal carbon monoxide even when windows are open.
Write down: Move toward professional care promptly when essential treatment cannot continue safely.
Plan accessible transport and handoffs
Write down two practical routes to clinical care and who can provide accessible transport, understanding that service availability may change. Bring identification, medication lists and relevant clinical summaries without exposing those publicly. Confirm whether a shelter, clinic or receiving center can actually meet mobility, refrigeration and device needs before traveling. For dialysis, insulin-dependent diabetes, home oxygen and other high-risk needs, rely on a clinician-led continuity plan.
Write down: Recheck providers and transport routes after each disruption rather than relying on old assumptions.
Evidence and report sections
These sources explain plausible failure mechanisms and the limits of different responses. They do not establish that the scenario is occurring.
- Outside-agents report: water health and medicine — relevant section
- Revised research report: water health and medicine — relevant section
- Outside-agents report: shelter and displacement — relevant section
- Revised research report: shelter and displacement — relevant section
Browse all 20 complete scenario reports · Review the ten foundational readiness guides
Frequently asked questions
Should someone ration critical medicine during a shortage?
No. Do not cut or alter critical doses on your own. Contact a clinician, pharmacist or appropriate emergency service for safe guidance.
Will boiling water make any contaminated water safe?
No. Boiling can reduce many biological hazards but does not remove most industrial chemicals and can concentrate some contaminants.
Related practical information
Read the foundational guide · Continuity Desk printable worksheets · Seven decision guides
Editorial method: synthesis of owner-provided conditional reports and the Civilian Survival During Total Economic Exclusion field guide. Specific recommendations require local professional guidance when risks are immediate. Updated 2026-10-09.