A family emergency plan for a missile or nuclear alert in India

You do not need a shelter to be better prepared. Most of what keeps people safe in the first hours of an emergency is a plan: knowing how the warning will reach you, where to go, who brings whom, and what to take. This guide is for every household, with or without a shelter.

1. Make sure warnings reach you

Since May 2026, India's nationwide Cell Broadcast system can send geo-targeted emergency alerts to phones in seconds, as loud pop-ups that work even when networks are busy. Check that emergency alerts are switched on for every phone in your household:

• Android: Settings, then Safety and emergency (or Notifications, depending on the phone), then Wireless emergency alerts. Turn on all alert types.
• iPhone: Settings, then Notifications, then scroll to the bottom and turn on Government Alerts.

Also know your other sources: civil defence sirens, All India Radio and Doordarshan, and NDMA's Sachet app and portal for official disaster alerts. Keep a battery or hand-crank radio at home in case phone networks fail.

2. Decide where you will shelter

Warning times for missiles can be a few minutes. Decide in advance, for home, work and school:

• Best option: a purpose-built shelter you can reach on foot in minutes.
• Next best: a basement, or the centre of a solid concrete building, on a middle floor, away from windows, outer walls and the roof.
• If outside: get into the nearest solid building. If you see a flash, do not look at it; get down, cover your head, and move inside once the blast wave has passed.

Then stay inside for at least 24 hours unless officials say otherwise. Our guide to how long to stay sheltered explains why the first hours matter most.

3. Agree the roles

Write down who does what, so nobody has to think in the moment:

• A lead who calls the move, and a deputy if the lead is away.
• Who brings each child, elder or person with limited mobility.
• Who messages family members who are out, using a pre-written message.
• A code word that means "go to shelter now", for phone calls and messages.

4. Pack a go-bag for each person

• Phone, charger and a charged power bank
• Three days of regular medicines, with prescriptions; glasses or contact lenses; hearing aid batteries
• Copies of ID (also saved in DigiLocker), a written list of contacts, some cash
• Water bottle, a few packets of ready-to-eat food that suit the person's diet
• Sturdy shoes, a torch, a basic first-aid kit, N95 masks
• For children: a comfort item, nappies or formula as needed

Keep bags near where people sleep. Do not go back for a bag if it is not on your way.

5. If you were outside after an event

Before joining others indoors, remove outer clothing and shoes and seal them in a bag, then wash skin and hair with soap and water, without scrubbing hard. Removing outer clothing alone removes much of the contamination.

6. Write it down and practise

A plan that exists only in one person's head fails when that person is not home. Write it on one page, give everyone a copy, and practise at least twice a year, once at night. Time how long it takes everyone to reach your shelter point. Our free family plan builder creates a printable page in your browser; nothing you type is stored or sent.

7. Stay informed, not alarmed

In a crisis, rumours travel faster than facts. Follow official instructions from the Government of India, NDMA and local authorities, and check information before forwarding it. Our preparedness news page tracks verified developments.