EMP Survival Guide: Your First 15 Steps & a Complete Plan

Wondering what to do if an EMP happened? We’ve all imagined the chaos, but knowing your first survival priorities is key. This article lays out the essential immediate actions to take after an EMP. For those ready to go beyond the basics and build a complete EMP survival plan with detailed lists, checklists, and advanced strategies, our free EMP Survival e-book and mini-course offer everything you need.

What is an EMP & Why It’s Different From Typical Disasters

I spent a few months researching EMP survival a couple of years ago. An EMP, or electromagnetic pulse, is a broadband burst of electromagnetic energy. This massively powerful wave has the potential to damage nearly everything electronic over hundreds of miles. So I wanted to discover how an EMP would affect the average household.

My approach to preparedness and survival in my first book, Survival Mom: How to Prepare Your Family For Everyday Disasters and Worst-Case Scenarios, was all about common sense. My goal was to equip the average mom and household with information, checklists, and strategies for surviving a typical natural disaster, medical emergency, or job loss.

However, my EMP research was different. It contained a lot of doom and gloom because of the nature of a post-EMP world. A world with months and months of life without the power grid and, for the most part, permanently damaged electronics.

Eventually, the information I learned and the conclusions I came to made me think twice about the predictions found in most EMP survival novels. Books like One Second After are compelling stories but contain scenarios that not all EMP experts believe will happen.

Instead, I believe that desperate times encourage and, in fact, create just the type of environment that breeds innovation.

In a post-EMP world, many communities will devise new and better systems. Old ones may no longer be needed or wanted. Time and again, we’ve seen communities and entire civilizations rebound after major catastrophes and long-term disasters, such as droughts and years of warfare.

Human beings are damn smart when they need to be.

When an EMP strikes, every moment becomes precious. What you do in those first hours can make all the difference for your family’s safety. Here are the essential first things you should consider doing right away:

1. Verify what has happened. Don’t let panic set in. Quickly assess your surroundings. Is the power out everywhere? Are all electronic devices completely dead? Knowing for sure what you’re dealing with will help you start making smart decisions.
2. Delegate tasks. That ‘golden window of time’ after an EMP is incredibly short. Start assigning clear responsibilities to family members right away – someone can check water, another secure doors, and someone else gather specific emergency items. It helps you get more done faster. My e-book includes a detailed task checklist to help you with this, and check out the short video later in this article where I talk specifically about this brief period of time.
3. Deal with electrical fires. An EMP can cause dangerous power surges, so electrical fires in appliances or wiring are a real threat. Have fire extinguishers ready and know exactly how to safely shut off your main power supply if you can.
4. Address water needs. Water will quickly become a major concern. If your tap water depends on electric pumps, it’s likely to stop flowing. Your immediate priority should be collecting and purifying water using reliable methods like filtration, boiling, or chemical treatments you have on hand.
5. Try to start every motorized vehicle you own. While many modern vehicles are vulnerable, don’t give up hope on older models or those that might be shielded. Try to start every motorized vehicle you own immediately; this could be your only chance for motorized transport.
6. Begin to gather your children. If your children are at school or away from home, you need an immediate plan to get them. Think about pre-designated meeting points and fallback options now, because communication will be completely down. As a mom, I know this is a huge concern, and my e-book provides specific tips for this critical task.
7. If you aren’t at home, get there as quickly as you can. our home is likely your safest and most prepared location. Prioritize getting back, ideally on foot if vehicles fail. Having a Get Home Bag with essentials is absolutely vital for this journey, and I provide a detailed checklist for it in my e-book.
8. Determine a way to keep track of time. Without electronic clocks, keeping track of time is surprisingly important for maintaining routines, shifts, and managing your resources. A trusty wind-up clock or even learning how to use a sundial will be invaluable.
9. Acquire last-minute supplies. If it’s safe and feasible, make a quick trip to accessible stores for essentials like water, non-perishable food, batteries, and medical supplies before complete chaos sets in. I explain why this can be a controversial but crucial step in my e-book, where I also list immediate priorities for this dash. We also have a whole series on last-chance apocalypse shopping you can check out.
10. Continue shopping. Beyond that initial dash, look for remaining opportunities to gather critical supplies like non-electric tools, seeds, or durable goods. You’ll need to understand your five priorities for long-term survival, which I outline in detail in my full guide.
11. Check up on close friends and family members. If they live within walking distance, or if you happen to have a functioning vehicle and can make the trip quickly, send someone to ensure their safety. You’ll also want to consider the pros and cons of bringing them back to your household – I share some thoughts on that in my e-book.
12. You can eat the food in your refrigerator and freezer. Before your refrigerator and freezer contents spoil, make consuming or preserving these items a top priority. You’ll want to explore food preservation strategies like canning, drying, or smoking.
13. Inform your neighbors. It’s smart to share essential information about the situation with your neighbors and offer basic guidance. Fostering a sense of community early on can be vital for mutual aid and security in the days ahead.
14. Gather vital information. Secure any important physical documents, maps, and essential contact information. Even if phones don’t work now, knowing numbers for future use (or for messengers) is key.
15. Take steps to survive the season in which the EMP occurs. our immediate survival priorities will shift dramatically depending on whether the EMP hits in summer or winter. Think carefully about heating, cooling, appropriate clothing, and shelter needs specific to the weather conditions you’re facing.

These 15 essential first steps are your initial roadmap for the immediate aftermath of an EMP. To dive much deeper into each of these points, get comprehensive checklists, and truly build your complete EMP preparedness plan, be sure to download your free copy of my exclusive EMP Survival e-book and its accompanying 4-email mini-course!

Here’s Your Complete EMP Preparedness E-book

Video: The Golden Window of Time in EMP Survival

In this short video, I explain what your golden window of time is and why it’s so important to use it wisely.

In addition to the video and e-book, there are many EMP articles on my website.

Final Thoughts

When it comes down to it, getting ready for an EMP isn’t about giving in to fear. It’s truly about finding peace of mind through sensible, practical action. Taking these essential first steps and building out a complete preparedness plan isn’t just for an EMP, either. You’re actually building resilience for your family no matter what major disruption might come your way. Your family’s safety and well-being are absolutely worth every bit of foresight and effort.

Originally published 5/9/15 and has been updated.