NoticeFictional zombie scenario — not a live emergency alert. This is a fictional zombie-themed civilian preparedness resource. During a real emergency, follow official instructions from local authorities, Virginia emergency management, the National Weather Service, and emergency services.

The Outbreak Manual · Archive

Outbreak files: when fiction met reality

Each file names a documented event, summarizes it factually with citations, then shows the fictional comic version we built from it. The two are never mixed.

Respect for real events

These events affected real households. We do not dramatize deaths, injuries or personal suffering, invent survivor stories, or use disaster imagery. Facts come from official and reputable sources; the comic version is clearly separated and entirely fictional.

Hurricane and storm surgeDocumented event

Hurricane Isabel

September 18, 2003

Real event — factual summary

Isabel made landfall on the North Carolina Outer Banks and moved inland across Virginia, producing storm surge along the Chesapeake Bay and lower James River, extensive tree damage, and widespread, long-duration power outages across Hampton Roads.

Comic version — fictional

Comic version: the tide comes up the street and stays for a week, and the neighborhood discovers that a refrigerator is only a cold box while the grid agrees.

Lesson — practical preparation

Assume multi-day outages after a landfalling tropical system, not multi-hour ones.
Know whether your address is in a surge evacuation zone before the season starts.
Plan lighting, food safety, water and medical-device power for several days.

Authoritative sources · last reviewed 2026-08-22

Fictional comic chapter — not a live emergency alert

Coastal floodingDocumented event

Nor'easter formed from the remnants of Hurricane Ida ("Nor'Ida")

November 11–15, 2009

Real event — factual summary

A prolonged nor'easter produced multiple cycles of tidal flooding, damaging winds and beach erosion across coastal Virginia, with repeated inundation of low-lying Hampton Roads roadways over several tide cycles.

Comic version — fictional

Comic version: the water refuses to leave, returning with every tide like a very patient monster with a schedule.

Lesson — practical preparation

Coastal flooding repeats with each high tide — one dry hour is not the all-clear.
Check tide and coastal flood forecasts, not just rainfall.
Move vehicles out of chronically flooded streets before the first cycle.

Authoritative sources · last reviewed 2026-08-22

Fictional comic chapter — not a live emergency alert

Extended power outageDocumented event

Hurricane Irene

August 27, 2011

Real event — factual summary

Irene moved along the mid-Atlantic coast and affected eastern Virginia with tropical-storm to hurricane-force winds, heavy rain and coastal flooding, causing widespread power outages that took days to restore in parts of the region.

Comic version — fictional

Comic version: the streetlights go out block by block and the whole sector learns which neighbors own a working radio.

Lesson — practical preparation

Charge devices and battery banks while the forecast is still just a forecast.
Keep a battery or hand-crank radio for information when data networks fail.
Register with your utility if someone in the household depends on powered medical equipment.

Authoritative sources · last reviewed 2026-08-22

Fictional comic chapter — not a live emergency alert

Inland and flash floodingDocumented event

Hurricane Matthew

October 8–9, 2016

Real event — factual summary

Matthew passed offshore of the mid-Atlantic while producing very heavy rainfall over southeastern Virginia, resulting in significant freshwater flooding of streets and neighborhoods in the Hampton Roads area and numerous road closures.

Comic version — fictional

Comic version: the intersection becomes a lagoon, and something large and imaginary is blamed for the pothole that is now a crater.

Lesson — practical preparation

Rainfall flooding can happen without a direct landfall.
Never drive through standing water — depth and road damage are invisible.
Have a second route and the willingness to cancel the trip.

Authoritative sources · last reviewed 2026-08-22

Fictional comic chapter — not a live emergency alert

Evacuation and ordersDocumented event

Hurricane Florence — Virginia preparations

September 2018

Real event — factual summary

As Florence approached the Carolinas, Virginia declared a state of emergency and a mandatory evacuation was ordered for coastal Zone A, then later lifted as the forecast track shifted south. The storm's ultimate impacts on Virginia were far smaller than early forecasts suggested.

Comic version — fictional

Comic version: the horde changes direction at the last minute, and everyone who prepared anyway simply has extra water.

Lesson — practical preparation

Evacuation orders are issued by zone — know yours in advance.
Forecasts change; acting early is not wasted effort when they do.
Preparation that goes unused is a good outcome, not a mistake.

Authoritative sources · last reviewed 2026-08-22

Fictional comic chapter — not a live emergency alert

Fuel and supply disruptionDocumented event

Colonial Pipeline ransomware incident

May 7, 2021

Real event — factual summary

A ransomware attack led the operator to shut down a major refined-products pipeline serving the eastern United States. Fuel deliveries were disrupted for several days and many stations across the Southeast, including Virginia, temporarily ran out of fuel as demand surged.

Comic version — fictional

Comic version: the pumps go quiet and the queue becomes its own kind of horde, three cars deep in every direction.

Lesson — practical preparation

Keep a reasonable fuel or charge level as a routine habit, not a reaction.
Panic-buying converts a supply delay into a local shortage.
Store fuel only in approved containers and never indoors.

Authoritative sources · last reviewed 2026-08-22

Fictional comic chapter — not a live emergency alert

Winter storm and stranded trafficDocumented event

Winter storm and Interstate 95 shutdown in Virginia

January 3–4, 2022

Real event — factual summary

Heavy snow and crashes closed a long stretch of Interstate 95 in Virginia, leaving motorists stopped on the highway overnight in freezing conditions before crews cleared the roadway.

Comic version — fictional

Comic version: the road becomes a parking lot, and everyone discovers whether the trunk contains a blanket or a beach chair.

Lesson — practical preparation

Carry a cold-weather kit in the vehicle: blanket, water, snacks, charger, flashlight.
Cancel discretionary travel during winter-weather warnings.
Keep the fuel tank fuller in winter; idling for warmth consumes fuel.

Authoritative sources · last reviewed 2026-08-22

Fictional comic chapter — not a live emergency alert

Public-health emergencyDocumented event

COVID-19 pandemic — Virginia state of emergency declared

March 12, 2020

Real event — factual summary

Virginia declared a state of emergency in response to COVID-19. Businesses including personal-service establishments operated under changing public-health requirements, and many appointments were rescheduled or cancelled over an extended period.

Comic version — fictional

Comic version: the studio door carries a hand-lettered sign, and the heroes learn that confirming before travelling is a permanent skill.

Lesson — practical preparation

Confirm that a business is open through its official channel before travelling.
Expect appointment policies to change during public-health emergencies.
Follow current public-health guidance from official sources.

Authoritative sources · last reviewed 2026-08-22

Fictional comic chapter — not a live emergency alert