Radiation Emergency Basics: What to Do If Something Serious Happens

Radiation emergencies are rare but serious. They can come from nuclear power plant incidents, dirty bombs, or other large-scale events. You can’t “see” the danger, which makes people either panic or freeze. This guide sticks to the basics: sheltering, limiting exposure, avoiding contamination, and knowing when to move.

Many of the decisions you’ll make look similar to other hazards. If you need a broader decision framework, see Bug-In vs. Bug-Out Basics and Shelter-in-Place Basics.

1. Understand the Basic Risks

In a radiation emergency, you’re dealing with two main problems:

• External exposure: radiation coming from outside your body
• Contamination: radioactive dust or particles on your skin, clothes, or in what you breathe/eat

You reduce both by putting distance and solid material between you and the source, and by keeping fallout off your skin and out of your lungs.

2. Default Move: Get Inside, Stay Inside

When something serious happens and you’re near a potential radiation source, your first action is almost always:

• Go indoors immediately
• Choose an interior room or basement if available
• Stay away from windows and exterior walls

This is a specific kind of shelter-in-place. For the general concept, read Shelter-in-Place Basics.

3. Seal the Building as Best You Can

You’re not making a perfect bunker, just reducing how much outside air and dust get in:

• Close and lock all doors and windows
• Shut off fans that pull outside air in
• Close fireplace dampers and vents if possible

If officials instruct you to seal gaps with tape and plastic, focus on the room where you and your family will stay the longest.

4. If You Were Outside, Decontaminate

If you were caught outside when fallout was coming down:

• Remove outer clothing and bag it—do not shake it out indoors
• Shower with soap and water if you can; don’t scrub skin raw
• Gently wash hair with regular shampoo (no conditioner—it can trap particles)

The goal is to get potential fallout off your body and out of your breathing space.

5. Listen for Official Instructions

Radiation emergencies are not DIY situations. You need real-time guidance from:

• Local emergency alert systems
• Battery-powered or hand-crank radios
• Trusted official channels when devices work

This is where strong communication prep matters. If you haven’t built that out yet, see Communication During Emergencies.

6. Food and Water Safety

You don’t want fallout in your food or water. Basic rules:

• Use stored, sealed water whenever possible
• Use canned or sealed food; wipe containers before opening
• Cover or move any exposed food indoors if there’s time before fallout arrives

Long before anything like this happens, build up your baseline supplies with Water Storage Basics and Non-Perishable Food Basics.

7. When Evacuation Might Be Ordered

In some cases, authorities will tell certain areas to evacuate. If that happens:

• Follow official routes—not shortcuts through potentially higher fallout zones
• Keep windows closed and vents set to recirculate in vehicles
• Bring your go-bag, documents, and essential medications

Don’t self-evacuate blindly unless you’re in immediate danger from something obvious like fire or structural damage. Radiation patterns are not intuitive—you need real data.

8. Supplies Worth Having Beforehand

You don’t build a radiation kit from scratch while sirens are sounding. Most of what you need is already part of a normal emergency setup:

• Battery-powered or hand-crank radio
• Sealed water and non-perishable food
• Plastic sheeting and tape for room sealing
• Extra clothing and basic hygiene supplies

All of that fits neatly into your existing Basic Home Emergency Kit List.

9. The Bottom Line

Radiation emergencies sound terrifying, but your core moves are straightforward: get inside, put barriers between you and the outside, decontaminate if needed, use clean food and water, and follow official instructions on whether to stay put or evacuate. You can’t control the event, but you can control how exposed you let yourself be.