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US · civil preparedness

Emergency preparedness in the United States: official rules

What FEMA, the FDA, the NRC and the FCC say about kits, shelters, alerts, potassium iodide and emergency numbers in the United States.

Updated 2026-10-20· 11 official sources

United States at a glance

updated 2026-10-20
SuppliesReady.gov (FEMA) recommends a basic kit to survive on your own for 'several days'; it sets no fixed number of days.sourcedPublic sheltersThere is no maintained national network of public fallout or blast shelters; remaining standalone shelters are mostly Cold War remnants.sourcedAlertsAlerts reach the public through FEMA's IPAWS: Wireless Emergency Alerts on phones, the Emergency Alert System on TV and radio, and NOAA Weather Radio.sourcedIodinePotassium iodide (KI) is sold without a prescription.sourcedPrivate shelterNo federal requirement, registration or license for private shelters was found; FEMA's safe room page mentions none.sourcedShelter standardsStandards exist for tornado and hurricane safe rooms, not for nuclear shelters: FEMA P-361, FEMA P-320 and ICC 500-2020.sourcedEmergency numbers911 is the emergency number nationwide.sourced
Crisis bookletFEMA's 'Are You Ready?sourced
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Short answer. In the United States, FEMA's Ready.gov asks households to be able to survive on their own for "several days", with one gallon of water per person per day 1. There is no national network of public nuclear shelters 2. Alerts arrive on phones, TV, radio and NOAA Weather Radio 3. Potassium iodide is sold without a prescription 4, and 911 is the emergency number nationwide 7.

All facts on these pages were checked against official U.S. sources on 20 October 2026.

Who is responsible for civil preparedness in the United States?

FEMA coordinates federal preparedness and runs Ready.gov, the national "Ready" campaign 18. Response itself is run by states and localities. Other federal agencies cover specific topics: the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sets potassium iodide dosing 4, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) handles KI supply and emergency planning around nuclear power plants 5, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) oversees Wireless Emergency Alerts and 911 7.

FEMA's official preparedness guide is "Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness". Its current edition is FEMA P-2064, dated September 2020 89.

What does each U.S. page cover?

Page In one line
Emergency supplies Ready.gov sets no fixed number of days; only water (1 gallon per person per day) and food carry quantities 1.
Public shelters No maintained national nuclear shelter network; open disaster shelters are found by texting SHELTER + ZIP to 43362 2.
Alerts Wireless Emergency Alerts, the Emergency Alert System, NOAA Weather Radio, the FEMA App; sirens are set locally 3.
Potassium iodide Sold without a prescription; the NRC supplies tablets to states that ask, for the 10-mile zone around nuclear plants 45.
Building a shelter No federal permit or registration found; local building permits and inspections apply 6.
Shelter standards Standards exist for tornado and hurricane safe rooms, not for nuclear shelters 6.
Emergency contacts 911, 988, and 43362 for shelters 2711.
Official kit list The Ready.gov basic kit, item by item 1.

What should a U.S. household do first?

Start with the three things the official sources describe in the most detail: a basic supply kit with water and food for several days 1, a way to receive alerts on your phone and on a radio 3, and knowing where you would shelter. For a nuclear detonation, official guidance is to go into the nearest solid building, brick or concrete, and stay in its most protective part for at least 24 hours 10.

Our general guides go further on each step: 72-hour kit, water per person, family plan and shelter in place or evacuate.

Frequently asked questions

Does the U.S. government say how many days of supplies to keep?

No fixed number. Ready.gov says a basic kit should let you survive on your own for "several days" and gives quantities only for water and food 1.

Are there public fallout shelters in the United States?

Not as a maintained national network. Ready.gov says most remaining standalone shelters are Cold War remnants 2. Disaster shelters are opened case by case; text SHELTER and your ZIP code to 43362 to find one 2.

Can I buy potassium iodide without a prescription in the U.S.?

Yes. The FDA states that "KI is available without a prescription" 4. It should not be taken as a preventative before radiation exposure 4.

What is the official U.S. preparedness booklet?

"Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness", current edition FEMA P-2064 (September 2020), available on Ready.gov 89.

Sources

  1. FEMA / Ready.gov — Build A Kit — https://www.ready.gov/kit (accessed 2026-10-20)
  2. FEMA / Ready.gov — Shelter — https://www.ready.gov/shelter (accessed 2026-10-20)
  3. FEMA / Ready.gov — Emergency Alerts — https://www.ready.gov/alerts (accessed 2026-10-20)
  4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration — Frequently Asked Questions on Potassium Iodide (KI) — https://www.fda.gov/drugs/bioterrorism-and-drug-preparedness/frequently-asked-questions-potassium-iodide-ki (accessed 2026-10-20)
  5. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission — Use of Potassium Iodide — https://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/about-emerg-preparedness/potassium-iodide-use (accessed 2026-10-20)
  6. FEMA — Safe Rooms — https://www.fema.gov/emergency-managers/risk-management/safe-rooms (accessed 2026-10-20)
  7. Federal Communications Commission — Text to 911: What You Need to Know — https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/what-you-need-know-about-text-911 (accessed 2026-10-20)
  8. FEMA / Ready.gov — Are You Ready? Guide — https://www.ready.gov/collection/are-you-ready (accessed 2026-10-20)
  9. FEMA — Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness — https://www.ready.gov/sites/default/files/2021-11/are-you-ready-guide.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
  10. FEMA / Ready.gov — Radiation Emergencies — https://www.ready.gov/radiation (accessed 2026-10-20)
  11. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline — https://988lifeline.org/ (accessed 2026-10-20)

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Sources

  1. FEMA / Ready.gov · Build A Kit checked Mon Oct 19 2026 20:00:00 GMT-0400 (heure avancée de l’Est)
  2. FEMA / Ready.gov · Shelter checked Mon Oct 19 2026 20:00:00 GMT-0400 (heure avancée de l’Est)
  3. FEMA / Ready.gov · Emergency Alerts checked Mon Oct 19 2026 20:00:00 GMT-0400 (heure avancée de l’Est)
  4. U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Frequently Asked Questions on Potassium Iodide (KI) checked Mon Oct 19 2026 20:00:00 GMT-0400 (heure avancée de l’Est)
  5. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission · Use of Potassium Iodide checked Mon Oct 19 2026 20:00:00 GMT-0400 (heure avancée de l’Est)
  6. FEMA · Safe Rooms checked Mon Oct 19 2026 20:00:00 GMT-0400 (heure avancée de l’Est)
  7. Federal Communications Commission · Text to 911: What You Need to Know checked Mon Oct 19 2026 20:00:00 GMT-0400 (heure avancée de l’Est)
  8. FEMA / Ready.gov · Are You Ready? Guide checked Mon Oct 19 2026 20:00:00 GMT-0400 (heure avancée de l’Est)
  9. FEMA · Are You Ready? An In-Depth Guide to Citizen Preparedness checked Mon Oct 19 2026 20:00:00 GMT-0400 (heure avancée de l’Est)
  10. FEMA / Ready.gov · Radiation Emergencies checked Mon Oct 19 2026 20:00:00 GMT-0400 (heure avancée de l’Est)
  11. 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline · 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline checked Mon Oct 19 2026 20:00:00 GMT-0400 (heure avancée de l’Est)

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