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.

Field manual · Section 02

Choose your outbreak

Each category is a fictional catastrophe wrapped around a real hazard Hampton Roads households actually face. Read the briefing, then run the actions.

Category 1Real focus: Extended power outage

The Grid Is Down

Streetlights die block by block. The hum you never noticed is gone, and the refrigerator has become a countdown clock.

Preparedness focus

Extended power outage planning
Generator safety
Carbon-monoxide prevention
Refrigerated food safety
Charging and battery planning
Medical-device backup power
Safe lighting

Action checklist

Run generators outdoors only, well away from doors, windows and vents — never in a garage, even with the door open.
Install working carbon-monoxide alarms with battery backup on every level of the home.
Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed; a full freezer holds temperature roughly 48 hours, a half-full one about 24.
Use battery or crank lanterns instead of candles to reduce fire risk.
Charge phones, battery banks and medical-device batteries before forecast storms; register with your utility if you depend on powered medical equipment.
Keep a corded or fully charged phone option and a printed contact list.

Never do this

Never run a generator, grill or camp stove indoors or in an attached garage.
Never backfeed a generator into household wiring without a professionally installed transfer switch.
Never taste food to decide if it is safe after an outage — when in doubt, throw it out.

Authoritative sources

Category 2Real focus: Flooded or blocked transportation

The Roads Are Lost

The horde is a traffic jam. Every route out of your sector narrows to the same set of tunnels, and the water is rising at the on-ramp.

Preparedness focus

Early evacuation
Multiple route planning
Adequate fuel
Paper maps
Avoiding floodwater
Never driving around barricades

Action checklist

Know your official evacuation zone before a storm is named, and leave when officials say to leave.
Plan at least two routes out and one shelter-in-place fallback; assume a bridge-tunnel may be closed.
Keep the fuel tank at least half full during hurricane season; charge EVs early.
Carry a paper map and printed directions — navigation apps fail with cell service.
Turn around, don't drown. A foot of moving water can move most vehicles.
Tell your out-of-area contact your route and expected arrival.

Never do this

Never drive around barricades or through standing water of unknown depth.
Never wait for visible danger before leaving if an evacuation order is issued.
Never assume a route that worked last storm is open this time.

Authoritative sources

Category 3Real focus: Contaminated or interrupted water supply

The Water Is Unsafe

The tap sputters, then runs cloudy. Whatever is in it, you are not testing the theory.

Preparedness focus

Household water storage
Official boil-water notices
Safe containers
Basic sanitation
Water conservation
Avoiding unsupported purification claims

Action checklist

Store at least one gallon per person per day; three days minimum, two weeks if you can.
Use food-grade containers or commercially bottled water; label with the date filled.
During a boil-water notice, follow your utility's exact instructions — typically a rolling boil for one minute, cooled before use.
Fill bathtubs and spare containers before a forecast storm for washing and toilet flushing.
Store extra water for pets, medical needs and hygiene.
Keep unscented household bleach and a dropper only if you have printed official disinfection instructions to follow.

Never do this

Never rely on unverified purification gadgets or social-media 'hacks'.
Never use floodwater for drinking, cooking or bathing.
Never assume a boil-water notice is lifted until the utility says so.

Authoritative sources

Category 4Real focus: Network congestion and outages

Communications Have Failed

Every bar disappears at once. The radios go quiet and the group chat stops updating mid-sentence.

Preparedness focus

Battery and hand-crank radios
Wireless Emergency Alerts
NOAA Weather Radio
Texting instead of calling
Out-of-area contacts
Printed contact lists
Family check-in schedules

Action checklist

Keep a battery or hand-crank AM/FM radio and, ideally, a NOAA Weather Radio with battery backup.
Leave Wireless Emergency Alerts enabled on every phone in the household.
Text instead of calling — short messages get through congested networks more reliably.
Designate one out-of-area contact everyone reports to; local circuits often fail first.
Carry a printed contact card in every wallet and backpack, including a child's school bag.
Agree on fixed check-in times (for example 8am and 8pm) so silence between them is not an emergency.

Never do this

Never rely on a single app or platform for emergency information.
Never spread unconfirmed reports; verify with official alerts first.

Authoritative sources

Category 5Real focus: Interrupted deliveries and closed stores

Supplies Have Stopped

The shelves emptied in an afternoon. Resupply is a rumor with no delivery date attached.

Preparedness focus

7–14 days of realistic household supplies
Shelf-stable food
Prescription planning
Infant and elder needs
Pet supplies
Hygiene and sanitation
Avoiding panic buying

Action checklist

Build the reserve gradually — a few extra items per grocery trip beats one panic run.
Stock food your household actually eats and can prepare without power.
Ask your pharmacist and prescriber how to keep an appropriate supply of essential medications on hand, and how to handle refills during a declared emergency.
Include infant formula, diapers, elder nutrition, and pet food and medication.
Add hygiene and sanitation supplies: soap, wipes, trash bags, sanitation buckets.
Rotate stock by date so nothing expires unnoticed.

Never do this

Never stockpile prescription or over-the-counter medication beyond what your prescriber and pharmacist advise.
Never buy so aggressively that neighbors cannot get essentials.

Authoritative sources

Category 6Real focus: Hazardous outdoor conditions

Shelter In Place

Officials say the air outside is the problem. The safest move is the boring one: stay put and seal up.

Preparedness focus

Staying indoors during hazardous conditions
Closing doors and windows
Turning off outside-air systems when officials direct it
Selecting an interior room
Monitoring official instructions
Maintaining air, water, medication and communication supplies

Action checklist

Go inside immediately and bring pets with you.
Close and lock all doors and windows; locking seals them more tightly.
When officials direct it, turn off HVAC, fans and anything drawing outside air, and close the fireplace damper.
Choose an interior room, ideally above ground level for chemical hazards and on the lowest interior level for high winds — follow the official instruction for that specific hazard.
Keep a radio, phone, water, medications and a flashlight in that room.
Stay in place until officials announce it is safe; do not go out to check.

Never do this

Never leave shelter to observe conditions or retrieve non-essential items.
Never assume the hazard has passed because the outside looks normal.

Authoritative sources