⛽ Why fuel is the hidden weak point

• Almost all food reaches shops by diesel lorry, mostly from a few large distribution centres.
• In September 2021, a lorry-driver shortage plus panic buying left 50–90% of filling stations dry in parts of England within days, and the army was brought in to deliver fuel.
• In September 2000, blockades of refineries emptied around three-quarters of stations in five days and supermarkets began rationing.
• Lesson: keep your car tank at least half full at all times, and keep two weeks of food at home — fuel problems become food problems within a week.

🛒 How much food is in the system?

• Retailers run "just-in-time" supply: stock is delivered daily to match sales. Government estimates suggest the supply chain holds something like 10 days of non-fresh stock; fresh and chilled food much less.
• Panic buying empties shop shelves in a day or two even when the warehouses are full.
• The often-quoted warning that society is "nine meals from anarchy" (attributed to Lord Cameron of Dillington) makes the point: three days without food is when public order starts to strain.

What happened before

• 1 September 1859 — Carrington Event: a huge flare was seen from England; about 17–18 hours later the storm hit. Auroras were seen as far south as the Caribbean; telegraph systems sparked, failed, or ran without batteries.
• 13 March 1989 — Quebec: the grid collapsed in about 90 seconds, leaving around 6 million people without power for about 9 hours; a large transformer was damaged in New Jersey.
• Estimates put a Carrington-scale storm at roughly once every 100–200 years. The UK government rates severe space weather as one of its higher-likelihood national risks (5–25% chance in five years).

What the UK expects (National Risk Register)

• Power disruption is expected to be regional, not national. Safety trips in cities recover within hours.
• Where high-voltage transformers are damaged — especially in remote and coastal areas — recovery could take several months. Replacing one takes around 8–16 weeks even when a spare exists.
• GPS and satellite navigation disrupted for days; satellite communications and HF radio disrupted; flights grounded or rerouted, with schedules taking weeks to recover.
• Mobile networks may need backup generators "for a sustained period" in some areas.

City High-rise flats

• Lifts stop: older and disabled residents can be trapped upstairs. Know who they are.
• Upper floors lose water first. Fill containers immediately.
• Stairwells are dark: put glow sticks or battery lights on landings.
• Communal rubbish chutes will overflow — agree a collection point.

🌊 Coastal vs inland

• Coastal: fishing and sea access; a possible (risky) route out by boat; but storms, tidal flooding and, if people try to leave by sea, crowds at harbours.
• Inland: sheltered, often better for growing; far from ports; more reliant on roads and on rivers and reservoirs for water.
• See Leaving the UK for routes by sea.

Better sources

• Rainwater from a clean roof via a gutter into a clean container (let the first few minutes wash the roof).
• Springs, fast-flowing streams upstream of houses and farms.
• Official bowsers and bottled water stations (listen to local radio).

📦 Store it well

• Cool, dark, dry, off the floor. Not a damp garage or hot loft.
• Dry goods in airtight food-grade buckets or containers — mice and moisture are the enemy.
• Mark the purchase date on everything; put new stock at the back.
• Most tins last 2–5 years past purchase; best-before dates are about quality, use-by dates are about safety.
• Have two manual tin openers.

🍳 Eat in this order

• Day 1–2: the fridge — milk, meat, leftovers.
• Days 2–4: the freezer, while it stays frozen. Keep the door shut; a full freezer stays frozen longer. Cook and share defrosting meat with neighbours rather than waste it.
• Week 1: fresh fruit, vegetables, bread, eggs.
• Then: tins, dry goods — rationed.
• Winter An unheated room, garage or a shaded cool box outside works as a fridge.

♨️ Save fuel

• Haybox / thermal cooking: bring rice, porridge, lentils or stews to the boil for 5 minutes, then wrap the lidded pot in blankets or a sleeping bag (or put it in an insulated box) for 1–3 hours. It finishes cooking on its own with no more fuel.
• Soak dried beans and lentils overnight; choose quick-cooking rice, couscous (not GF), instant oats and noodles.
• Cook once a day and fill vacuum flasks with the rest of the boiled water for drinks.
• Always use a lid. Cook for the whole street together if you can.

🥫 No-cook food

• Most tinned food is already cooked and can be eaten cold: beans, meat, fish, soup, rice pudding, fruit.
• Peanut butter, crackers or rice cakes, nuts, dried fruit, cereal bars, UHT milk.
• Keep 3–5 days of no-cook food so a fuel failure never means no food.

🧥 Dress for it — indoors

• Layers: thermal base layer (wool or synthetic), fleece, insulated jacket. Avoid cotton next to the skin.
• Hat, scarf and fingerless gloves indoors. Warm socks and slippers or boots.
• Change out of damp clothes immediately — wet clothing removes heat 20+ times faster.

🛏️ Sleep warm

• Good sleeping bags (rated to −5°C or lower) inside duvets are the single best purchase for a winter outage.
• Insulate underneath: mats or folded blankets — more matters below than above.
• Hot-water bottles (filled from a kettle on the stove) and a hot drink before bed. Never use hot-water bottles for babies.
• Eat a fatty snack before sleep — your body burns it for heat overnight.

🔥 Safe heat sources

• Wood burner or open fire with a swept chimney — the best option. Store at least a few weeks of seasoned wood, dry and under cover.
• Indoor-rated portable gas heater (cabinet heater, butane): only with ventilation and a CO alarm, never while sleeping.
• Paraffin heater: same rules; store paraffin safely outside.
• Hot food and drinks, and exercise (a brisk 10 minutes), warm you from inside.

🏠 Keep the house cool

• Close curtains and blinds on sun-facing windows by mid-morning; open windows at night and early morning for through-draughts.
• Live in the coolest room — usually downstairs and north-facing.
• Hang damp sheets in doorways or windows for evaporative cooling (only where air moves).
• Cook outdoors or at dawn; don't add heat indoors.

🧍 Keep people cool

• Drink regularly before you feel thirsty — plan 4–6 litres per person per day in hot weather, more if working.
• Cool showers or strip washes; damp cloths on the neck, wrists and feet; a spray bottle.
• Avoid the sun from 11am to 3pm; loose, light-coloured clothes; hats.
• Battery or USB fans help — and use little power.

Before the storm hits

• Listen for Met Office warnings on the radio (amber and red mean act now).
• Bring in or tie down anything that could blow away: bins, garden furniture, trampolines, solar panels.
• Fill every container with water; charge everything; refuel the car if possible.
• Park away from trees; know where your stopcock, gas valve and fuse box are.
• Move valuables, supplies and medicines upstairs if flooding is possible.

During the storm

• Stay indoors, away from windows. Shelter in an inside room on the lower floor (or upper floor if flood risk).
• Do not go outside to check damage or move cars until it has passed.
• Do not walk or drive through flood water: 15 cm of moving water can knock you off your feet, 30 cm can float a car, and flood water hides open drains and is contaminated with sewage.

After the storm

• Treat every fallen line as live. Stay at least 10 metres away and keep others away; report it (105 when phones work).
• Check for gas leaks (smell) — if you smell gas, don't use switches or flames, open windows, leave, and turn off at the meter if safe.
• Check neighbours, especially older people.
• Photograph damage; make temporary repairs with tarps and battens to keep the weather out.

If your home floods

• Turn off electricity at the fuse box only if you can reach it without standing in water.
• Move people and pets upstairs with supplies, water, torch, radio, phone and warm clothes.
• Assume all flood water is contaminated: gloves, boots, wash hands, throw away any food it touched.

🔋 Batteries & power banks

• 2–3 power banks of 10,000–20,000 mAh (≈ 37–74 Wh each) keep a family's phones going for a week or more.
• A portable power station (300–1,000 Wh, ideally LiFePO4 chemistry) runs lights, phones, radio and a laptop for days and can be recharged by solar. LiFePO4 is safer and lasts many more cycles than ordinary lithium.
• Stock AA and AAA batteries — lithium AAs last 10–20 years in storage and work in the cold. Standardise devices on one battery size if you can.
• Keep power banks 50–80% charged and top up every 3 months; check the date on stored batteries.

☀️ Solar

• A folding 60–100 W panel can recharge phones and power banks even on a cloudy UK day — expect only 10–25% of the rated output in winter or under cloud.
• UK winter daylight is short (7–8 hours in December in the south, under 7 in Scotland), so in winter solar is a top-up, not a supply.
• Point the panel south, tilt it steeply in winter, keep it clean, and keep it out of sight — a panel on display is a sign of power.
• A geomagnetic storm does not damage small solar panels, batteries or phones.

The two-bucket toilet

• Bucket 1 (pee): urine is almost sterile. Dilute and pour onto soil or a garden drain away from water sources.
• Bucket 2 (poo): line with two strong bin bags. After each use, cover with a scoop of clay cat litter, sawdust, soil, ash or shredded paper — it controls smell and flies.
• A toilet seat on a lidded 20-litre bucket, or the bagged bowl of your own toilet, works well. Keep the lid shut.
• Tie off bags when a third full; store in a lidded bin away from the house until collections resume, or bury (see below).

Burying waste SuburbRural

• Dig a trench or pit at least 30 m from any well, stream, pond or vegetable bed, and downhill from them.
• Cover each deposit with soil. Fill to within 30 cm of the top, then backfill and mark it.
• City In flats with no garden: bag, store in a sealed bin on a balcony or in a communal area agreed with neighbours. Councils usually set up emergency collection points.

Washing with little water

• Strip wash with a flannel and a bowl: face, armpits, groin, feet. 2 litres is enough.
• Wet wipes, no-rinse shampoo and dry shampoo save water.
• Wash clothes in a lidded bucket with a plunger (a "bucket washing machine"); reuse rinse water for flushing.
• Keep fingernails short — dirt under nails spreads infection.

Kitchen & rubbish

• Wash dishes in hot soapy water, then rinse in water with a few drops of unscented bleach; air dry.
• Keep food covered; flies spread disease from waste to food.
• Rubbish: separate food waste (bury or compost in a closed bin) from dry waste. Flatten and bag the rest. Rats arrive fast — keep everything sealed.

💉 Insulin without a fridge

• Unopened insulin is kept in a fridge (2–8°C). Insulin in use can be kept at room temperature for a limited time — most for 28 days, some longer — below 25°C or 30°C depending on the product. Check your own leaflet, and note the new expiry date when you take a pen or vial out of the fridge.
• Never let insulin freeze or overheat; keep it out of direct sun and away from stoves.
• Evaporative cooling wallets (e.g. Frio, sold via Diabetes UK) keep insulin cool for around two days per soak, using only water — have one per insulin user. Don't put insulin directly on ice packs.
• Winter An unheated room is a good store; Summer a cool cellar, or a pot-in-pot clay cooler.
• Keep extra testing strips, lancets, meter batteries, hypo treatments and ketone strips.

🫁 Powered medical equipment

• Oxygen concentrators, CPAP, nebulisers, suction, feeding pumps, home dialysis — all need a backup plan now.
• Ask your supplier about backup cylinders and battery packs; ask your clinical team what to do and where to go if power fails for more than a few hours.
• Register on the Priority Services Register (call 105 or your electricity network) — you'll get priority contact and support.
• Know which hospital or community building nearby has a generator.

📻 Listening: your lifeline

• The BBC is the UK's emergency broadcaster: the government can require it to broadcast emergency announcements. Main transmitter sites have backup power.
• Have a battery or wind-up radio with FM and DAB — plus medium wave (AM) if possible. BBC local radio, Radio 4 and Radio 5 Live carry emergency information.
• Radio 4 long wave (198 kHz) was switched off in June 2026 — don't rely on old advice that says to use it.
• Note the news with the time, and schedule listening (e.g. on the hour) to save batteries.

📱 Getting the most from your phone

• Texts use far less network capacity than calls and often get through when calls fail.
• 999 / 112 calls can use any available network, not just yours.
• Battery: low-power mode, low brightness, flight mode between checks, close apps. A phone with no signal searches constantly and drains fast.
• Download offline maps and keep key documents and this guide on the phone — but have paper copies too.
• If you depend on a landline (no mobile signal at home), ask your provider for the free battery backup unit they must offer (at least 1 hour).

💷 Cash is king (for a while)

• No power means no card machines, cash machines, online banking or contactless — for every shop at once.
• Keep £200–£500 per household at home in small notes and coins (shops won't have change), split between several hiding places.
• Cash is most useful in the first 1–2 weeks. After that, goods (food, fuel, batteries, medicine) and skills often matter more.
• Don't flash money; carry only what you need.

📄 Documents grab-file

• Passports, driving licences, birth and marriage certificates.
• Prescriptions and a medicines list for each person; NHS numbers; GP details.
• Insurance policies, mortgage/tenancy, bank details.
• Printed emergency contacts and family plan.
• Store originals in a waterproof, fire-resistant pouch; copies on paper in the grab bag and on an encrypted USB stick.

👀 Light

• A lit window on a dark street says "they have power or fuel". Use blackout curtains, blankets or cardboard; check from outside.
• Use torches pointed down and red-light settings at night; keep lights to inner rooms.
• Don't run outdoor lights or decorative solar lights.

🔊 Noise

• A generator can be heard hundreds of metres away and tells everyone you have fuel. Run it briefly, in daylight, in an enclosed outbuilding with ventilation — never indoors.
• Keep voices, music and children's play low after dark.

👃 Smell & smoke

• Cooking smells carry — especially meat and frying. Cook simple foods, in the daytime, with lids on.
• Chimney smoke in summer stands out; in winter it is normal.

🗑️ Rubbish & talk

• Don't leave food packaging in bins or on view — flatten, bag and store it, or burn paper safely.
• Don't tell anyone outside your trusted circle what you have. Children talk — explain why it's a family secret.
• Look as thin, tired and short of supplies as everyone else when you're out.

Start now (it costs nothing)

• Know the names of the people in the 10–20 homes around you.
• Find out who is elderly, disabled, on oxygen or dialysis, or has small children — they will need checking on first.
• Find out who has skills: nurses, carers, electricians, plumbers, mechanics, builders, gardeners, anglers, radio amateurs, ex-forces.
• Ask your council or parish whether there is a Community Emergency Plan or community resilience group, and join it.
• Share a printed contact sheet and a meeting point (a church hall, school or the house with a wood burner).

In the first days

• Hold a short street meeting in daylight: what's working, who needs help, what the plan is.
• Check every vulnerable neighbour within 24 hours, then daily.
• Agree a noticeboard (a front window, a church door) for news, needs and offers.
• Set up the watch rota (see Security).
• Agree simple rules: no one goes out alone after dark; tell someone where you're going.

👶 Babies & young children

• Infant formula: store at least 4–6 weeks of the brand your baby uses, plus ready-to-feed cartons — they need no water or sterilising. Powdered formula must be made with water boiled and cooled to no less than 70°C; if you can't boil water, use cartons.
• Breastfeeding is the most resilient food supply there is — mothers need extra water and calories (roughly +500 kcal/day).
• Nappies (a month's supply, or cloth nappies + extra wipes/bin bags), barrier cream, Calpol/ibuprofen for children, a children's thermometer, oral rehydration sachets.
• Babies lose heat fast: hats, layers, sleep with a parent in a warm room (on a firm surface, not a sofa) only if that's safe; never use hot-water bottles or electric blankets in a baby's bed.
• Comfort items, books, crayons, a simple routine. Explain things honestly and calmly.

🧓 Older people

• Most at risk from cold (hypothermia can develop indoors at 10–15°C), dehydration and missed medication.
• Check twice a day in winter. Bring them into the shared warm room rather than leaving them alone.
• Keep a list of their medicines, doses, GP and allergies on paper.
• Spare glasses, hearing-aid batteries, denture supplies, continence pads.
• People living with dementia may be distressed by darkness and change — keep familiar routines and a small light on.

♿ Disabled people & medical equipment

• Register now on your electricity network's Priority Services Register (free; call 105 or your supplier) and your water company's register — they prioritise contact and help in outages.
• Powered equipment (home oxygen concentrators, ventilators, suction, powered wheelchairs, hoists, pressure mattresses, home dialysis) needs a plan: backup cylinders, battery packs, a manual alternative, and where to go — ask your equipment supplier and clinical team now.
• Know that stairlifts and lifts will stop. Move bedding downstairs early if needed.

🐕 Pets & animals

• Store 4–6 weeks of pet food and any pet medicines; dogs need about 50–60 ml of water per kg of body weight per day.
• Keep a lead, carrier, collar tag and vaccination record ready if you have to move. Many rest centres don't accept pets.
• A barking dog is an excellent alarm — but a hungry one is a burden. Plan honestly.
• Livestock and poultry: stored feed, water (cattle and horses drink a lot) and a plan for electric fences and water pumps failing.

⛽ Make fuel last

• Petrol starts to degrade after about 6 months; add a fuel stabiliser and rotate stored fuel into the car every few months.
• Drive gently at 45–55 mph; remove roof boxes; don't idle for heat.
• Plan one trip, not several. Share journeys with neighbours.
• A full tank in a small car is often 400–600 miles — enough to reach family almost anywhere in Great Britain.

🚧 On the road in a crisis

• Traffic lights are out: treat junctions as unmarked; go slowly.
• Avoid motorways in the first days (queues, breakdowns, closures); use A and B roads and paper maps — satnav may lose GPS in a solar storm.
• Expect police checkpoints and closed roads; follow instructions.
• Keep doors locked and windows up in towns; don't stop for strangers flagging you down — report them instead.
• Car kit: blankets, water, food, torch, shovel, tow rope, jump leads, first aid, phone charger, paper maps, high-vis vest.

🗺️ Plan the route

• Use paper maps: quiet roads, bridleways, canal towpaths and footpaths avoid crowds and checkpoints.
• Avoid motorways, city centres, retail parks and large housing estates.
• Know where water is along the way (rivers, streams, churchyard taps, public toilets) and where you can shelter (churches, barns with permission, friends' houses).
• Have a primary route, an alternative and a "turn back" point.
• Leave a note at home (inside, out of view) with route and destination.

🚶 On the move

• Leave at first light; be in shelter before dark.
• Walk at the pace of the slowest person; keep the group in sight of each other.
• Agree signals and what to do if separated (go back to the last agreed point and wait).
• Dress to look ordinary, not "tactical" — camouflage and military kit attract attention.
• Avoid groups, queues and confrontations; step aside and let others pass.
• Drink before you're thirsty; eat little and often.

🦶 Look after feet

• Stop and tape a "hot spot" the moment you feel rubbing.
• Change into dry socks at midday; dry wet ones on the outside of the pack.
• Air feet at every long stop; keep toenails short.

🌧️ Weather

• Winter Daylight is 8 hours or less: plan short days, carry a sleeping bag even for "one day" trips, stay dry.
• Summer Walk early and late, rest in shade at midday, carry more water.
• Storm Don't set out into a red or amber warning: falling trees, flooding and exposure kill. Wait it out.

💧 Water & food

• 1–2 water bottles (1.5 L total) + collapsible 2 L bladder
• Water filter (squeeze or straw type) + purification tablets as backup
• 3 days' food: ~2,500 kcal/day of no-cook, lightweight, high-energy food — nut butters, oat bars, nuts, dried fruit, chocolate, crackers, jerky GF pick certified gluten-free bars and rice crackers
• Small stove + gas cartridge + lighter, metal mug/pot, spork (or skip cooking to save weight)
• Electrolyte / rehydration sachets

🧥 Clothing & weather

• Broken-in walking boots or trail shoes — worn, not packed
• Waterproof jacket and overtrousers
• Warm insulating layer (fleece or synthetic jacket — not cotton)
• 2–3 pairs of good walking socks
• Hat and gloves Winter; sun hat, sunscreen Summer
• Spare base layer and underwear in a dry bag
• Buff/neck gaiter (warmth, dust, sun)

⛺ Shelter & sleep

• Emergency bivvy bag (not just a foil blanket — bivvies are far warmer)
• Lightweight tarp (2×3 m) + 6 pegs + 15 m cord
• Foam sit-mat or light sleeping mat — ground cold steals heat
• Light sleeping bag rated to the season Winter

🔦 Light, power & navigation

• Head torch with red mode + spare batteries
• Paper OS map(s) of your route and compass — phones die and mobile data may be down
• Phone + charged power bank (10,000 mAh) + cable
• Small wind-up/battery radio (FM/DAB)
• Whistle (3 blasts = help) and a small signal mirror

🩹 Health & hygiene

• At least 7 days of every prescription medicine + a written list of medicines and doses
• Blister kit (Compeed, tape), plasters, dressings, crepe bandage, tweezers, painkillers, antihistamines, loperamide
• Hand sanitiser, small soap, toothbrush, toilet roll in a bag, trowel
• Sanitary products / menstrual cup
• Sun cream, lip balm, insect repellent (midges in Scotland!) Summer

🔧 Tools & repair

• Non-locking folding knife with a cutting edge of 3" or less (the only blade legal to carry in public without good reason) or a multi-tool with the same
• Duct tape (wrap 2 m round a bottle), cable ties, a few safety pins
• Lighter + matches in a waterproof bag + firestarters
• Small sewing kit, spare bootlaces
• Work gloves (debris, broken glass)

💧 Water

• Drinking water: at least 3 L per person per day (2.5–3 L is the survival minimum) — 168 L for four people for two weeks. Aim for 10 L per person per day if you can store it.
• Large containers to fill at the first sign of trouble: 2 × 25 L water carriers, collapsible jerry cans, a bath bladder (holds ~200 L in a clean bath)
• Unscented household bleach (sodium hypochlorite, no additives) + dropper/measuring syringe
• Water purification tablets (chlorine dioxide or NaDCC), 2 packs
• Gravity water filter (ceramic or hollow-fibre) for long-term use
• Rain butt(s) + diverter, clean food-grade buckets with lids
• Large pan or kettle for boiling; funnel; hose for siphoning

🥫 Food (see Food for quantities)

• 2 weeks of food you already eat (at least ~110,000 kcal for 4; the Food table gives ~140,000)
• 3–5 days of no-cook food
• 2 manual tin openers
• Gluten-free / allergy-safe stock kept separately, labelled
• 3 months of staples: rice, oats, pasta, lentils, oil, tins
• Baby formula, food and supplies (4–6 weeks)
• Pet food (4–6 weeks)
• Multivitamins; salt; seeds for growing; sprouting seeds
• Airtight storage buckets; zip-lock bags; foil; cling film

🔥 Heat, cooking & fuel

• Camping stove + gas cartridges or propane bottle (2+ weeks' fuel)
• Lighters (5+) and matches in waterproof boxes
• Battery carbon monoxide alarms (one per room with a flame or sleeper) + smoke alarms with spare batteries
• Sleeping bags rated to −5°C or lower, one per person
• Wool or fleece blankets: 2+ per person
• Seasoned firewood/fuel if you have a stove or fireplace; kindling, firelighters
• Indoor-safe gas heater + bottles (with ventilation)
• Thermal underwear, hats, gloves, warm socks for everyone
• Hot-water bottles, vacuum flasks, a haybox or insulated bag
• Bubble wrap/foil insulation, duct tape, draught excluders, a 2–4 person tent for indoor "room in a room"
• Fire extinguisher + fire blanket

🔦 Light, power & communications

• Head torch per person + 2 LED lanterns
• Wind-up / battery radio with FM and DAB (plus medium wave if possible — Radio 4 long wave closed in 2026)
• Batteries: 40+ AA, 20+ AAA (lithium store longest)
• Power banks (2–3 × 20,000 mAh), charged
• Portable power station (LiFePO4, 300–1,000 Wh) + folding solar panel (60–100 W)
• PMR446 walkie-talkies (family set) — licence-free
• Glow sticks (children, toilet, stairwells)
• Car phone charger and inverter
• Spare old phone with offline maps and documents

🚽 Sanitation & hygiene

• 2 × lidded 20 L buckets + toilet seat lid
• Heavy-duty bin bags (100+) and clay cat litter / sawdust (2–4 large bags)
• Toilet roll (a month's supply), wet wipes, hand sanitiser
• Soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo
• Sanitary products / menstrual cups; nappies; incontinence pads
• Disinfectant, bleach, rubber gloves, nitrile gloves (100)
• Washing-up liquid, washing bucket + plunger, pegs, line
• Spade for latrine/burying waste

🩺 Health & first aid

• 30+ days of all prescription medicines (ask your GP about a reserve), written list of medicines
• Comprehensive first aid kit + first aid manual
• Paracetamol, ibuprofen, antihistamines, loperamide, rehydration sachets, antiseptic
• Thermometer, pulse oximeter, blood-pressure monitor if needed
• Spare glasses, contact lens supplies, hearing-aid batteries
• Dental kit: temporary filling, clove oil, floss
• Children's medicines (liquid paracetamol/ibuprofen)
• Insulin cooling pouch; glucose tablets; testing supplies
• Sun cream, insect repellent, lip balm, moisturiser

🔧 Tools & repair

• Multi-tool, adjustable spanner (for gas/water shut-off), screwdrivers, pliers
• Duct tape (4+ rolls), cable ties, paracord/rope
• Bow saw and axe (firewood), hammer, nails, screws, cordless drill + spare batteries
• Plastic sheeting / tarps (window and roof repairs)
• Plywood or boards for windows; door reinforcements (see Security)
• Work gloves, safety goggles, dust masks (FFP2/FFP3)
• Sewing kit, superglue, WD-40, spare fuses
• Bike + puncture repair kit + pump; trolley or cargo trailer

📄 Money, documents, information

• Cash in small notes and coins (£200–£500)
• Documents grab-file (see Money & documents)
• Printed copy of this guide, contact list and family plan
• Paper maps of your area and routes; compass
• Notebook, pencils, permanent markers
• Books, cards, board games, toys, puzzle books
• One grab bag per person (see The Grab Bag)

Inland households

• You're a long way from any port. The journey there — on congested roads, with uncertain fuel — is the hard part.
• Leaving the country is only realistic if you go in the first day or two, by car, to a ferry or the tunnel you've already booked or confirmed is running.
• For most inland households, a retreat within the UK (relatives, friends) is the better plan.

Coastal households

• Your local harbour may be where others head for. Expect crowds, theft of boats and fuel, and conflict.
• If you own a boat and have the skills, the sea can be a route to Ireland, France or the Channel Islands — but only in good weather and with legal entry arranged.
• Fishing and the sea can be a food source if you stay.

Daily jobs

• Water collection & treatment
• Fuel: wood cutting, drying
• Cooking (one hot meal)
• Watch rota
• Toilet & rubbish

Weekly

• Stock count & ration check
• Laundry
• Repairs
• Community meeting
• Health check of everyone

Keep going

• Schooling for children
• Exercise, daylight
• Shared meals, games, music
• A news update each day
• Rest days

⚡ When the power returns

• Leave one light switched on during the outage so you know when power returns; switch everything else off at the wall to avoid a surge when it comes back.
• Turn appliances back on one at a time, over several minutes. Heaters and kettles last.
• Check for burning smells, damaged sockets or flood-damaged wiring — if in doubt, keep the circuit off and get an electrician.
• Remove any temporary generator connections. Never back-feed a generator into house wiring without a proper changeover switch — it can kill line workers.

🍗 Food & water safety

• Food that has been above 8°C for more than 4 hours (meat, fish, dairy, cooked food) — throw it away. If in doubt, throw it out.
• Food that is still frozen solid, or has ice crystals, can be refrozen.
• Follow your water company's notices: "boil water" advice can continue for days after supply returns.
• Run taps for a few minutes before use; flush water heaters if the supply was contaminated.

🚗 Getting back to normal

• Restock gradually — avoid adding to the rush.
• Expect fuel rationing and long queues for days to weeks.
• Check on vulnerable neighbours; they may be the last to be reached.
• Photograph damage and keep receipts for insurance.

📝 Learn from it

• Hold a family "what worked, what didn't" talk while it's fresh.
• Replace and rotate everything you used.
• Note the gaps — they are your shopping list for next time.
• Beware scams: fake utility workers, fake relief appeals, "emergency" price gouging.

⏱️ First 72 hours

• Fill water: bath, containers, pans
• Radio on; torches out; appliances off
• Fuel, cash, medicines — early, calmly
• Check vulnerable neighbours
• Warm room + CO alarms (winter)
• Fridge → freezer → fresh → tins
• Toilet plan ready
• Day 2–3: decide stay or go

📊 Key numbers

🧭 Stay or go?

• Official evacuation order → GO
• Warm + water + 2 weeks food → STAY
• Home unsafe + known destination → MOVE EARLY, daylight, together
• Home unsafe + no destination → rest centre / pool with neighbours
• Leaving the UK → only early, with a destination and a right to stay

☠️ Never

• Run a generator, BBQ or charcoal indoors or in a garage
• Use a gas cooker to heat a room
• Back-feed a generator into house wiring
• Drink untreated water from rivers, floods or radiators
• Walk or drive through flood water
• Leave candles unattended or sleep near them
• Tell strangers what supplies you have
• Carry a weapon or a locking knife in public