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Go deeper. Start here.

A minute-long video can only get you started. These are the places I trust when I want the whole story. Most of them are the same official sources my videos and my app are built on. The rest are people and tools I actually use.

I picked every link here by hand and checked that it works. I do not get paid for any of them. This is general preparedness information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.

Start Here

• Ready.govThe government's home base for getting ready. If you only bookmark one site, make it this one.
• Make a PlanWho calls who, where you meet, and how you get out. Sit down with your family and fill it in.
• Build a KitThe basic supply list. You probably own half of it already.
• Be Red Cross ReadyThe Red Cross guides for just about every kind of emergency.
• FEMA AppFree weather alerts for up to five places, plus shelter locations.
• Find Your State's Emergency OfficeYour state has its own emergency management office. Find yours and follow them.

Weather and Disasters

• National Weather ServiceThe forecast without the hype. Type in your zip code and save it.
• Storm Prediction CenterWhere tornado watches come from. Check the outlook days before a storm gets here.
• NOAA Weather RadioIt works when your phone and the power do not. Every house should have one.
• National Hurricane CenterStorm tracks and cones straight from the source.
• USGS Earthquake MapEvery quake, live. We live near the New Madrid fault, so I check it.
• NASA Fire MapActive fires seen from satellites, close to real time.
• InciWebOfficial updates on the big wildfires: size, containment and evacuations.
• AirNowAir quality where you are, and what to do when smoke is in the air.
• WindyWind, rain and radar on one map that is honestly fun to use.
• Earth Wind MapWatch the whole planet's weather move. Great for seeing a big storm coming.

Power Outage and Home

• Power OutagesWhat to do before, during and after the lights go out.
• Carbon MonoxideGenerators and grills kill people every outage. Read this before you run one.
• Food Safety in an OutageWhat to keep and what to throw out when the fridge has been off.
• Home FiresYou may have less than two minutes to get out. Plan it now.
• Fire Escape PlanningThe fire experts' guide to drawing your escape plan and practicing it.
• U.S. Fire AdministrationSmoke alarms, heating safety and everything else that keeps fire out of your house.
• Make a Home Inventory VideoWalk your house with your phone so the insurance claim goes faster.
• Post-Disaster ScamsThe scammers show up right after the storm. Know what they look like.

Water and Food

• WaterHow much to store and how to store it. One gallon per person per day is the starting point.
• Making Water SafeThe EPA's steps for boiling or treating water with plain bleach.
• Water in an EmergencyThe CDC on boil notices, wells and where to find safe water.
• FoodWhat to stock so you can eat for days without power or a store.
• National Center for Home Food PreservationTested canning and drying methods. Do not guess at canning.

Medical and First Aid

• Stop the BleedSomeone can bleed out before help gets there. Learn how to stop it. The class is short and often free.
• Red Cross ClassesCPR, first aid and AED classes near you. Watching a video is not the same as hands-on.
• American Heart Association CPRThe people who write the CPR guidelines. Find a class here too.
• Stroke SignsKnow what a stroke looks like so you call 911 fast.
• Poison Help1-800-222-1222, free, any time. Save it in your phone right now.
• Disaster Distress HelplineCall or text 1-800-985-5990. The hard part of a disaster is not always the physical part.
• Pet First AidThe veterinarians' first aid tips. Our dogs are family too.
• Pets in an EmergencyA plan and a kit for the four-legged members of the house.
• WikEMAn emergency medicine reference written by doctors. Deep stuff, for the medically minded.

On the Road

• Driving Safely Near TracksOperation Lifesaver, and the blue sign that can save your life if you stall on a crossing.
• Winter DrivingGet the car ready before the first ice storm, not during it.

Comms and Radio

• Get Your Ham LicenseWhen the cell towers go down, ham radio still works. The entry test is easier than you think.
• HamStudyFree practice tests. This is how most people pass.
• GMRSA family radio license with no test. One fee covers the whole family.
• MeshtasticCheap little radios that text each other with no cell service at all.
• MeshCoreAnother off-grid mesh network, built to reach farther with repeaters.
• BroadcastifyListen to police, fire and EMS scanners live online.
• Radio GardenSpin the globe and hear live local radio from anywhere in the world.

Bushcraft and Survival

• Survivor LibraryThousands of old how-to books from before modern tech. How people did it all by hand.
• TruePrepperPractical prepping guides and gear reviews with no doom and gloom.
• Animated KnotsEvery knot you will ever need, tied step by step.
• The Great Outdoors Q&AReal questions answered by people who actually camp, hike and hunt.
• Canadian PrepperGear tests and bug-out talk on YouTube.
• Urban PrepperPrepping for people who live in town, on YouTube.

Build Your Own Offline Library

When the internet goes down, everything you were going to look up goes with it. You can keep a whole library on your phone or laptop for free, and it works with no signal at all.

• KiwixThe free app that does it. Phone, laptop or a Raspberry Pi. Start here.
• The Kiwix LibraryPick what to download: all of Wikipedia, a medical Wikipedia, survival guides, repair manuals and more.
• iFixitRepair guides for almost anything. It is also in the Kiwix library to keep offline.
• Project GutenbergOver 70,000 free books, including the old farming and homesteading classics.
• Internet-in-a-BoxTurn a small computer into a Wi-Fi library your whole neighborhood can use.

Build Your Own Offline AI

You can run an AI on your own computer with no internet and no subscription. These are free. A small AI can still be wrong, and it can sound sure of itself when it is. Use it to think things through, not to replace a doctor, a class or 911.

• LM StudioThe easiest start. Install it, pick a model, and start asking questions.
• JanAnother simple, free app that runs AI on your computer.
• OllamaFor the techy folks. Runs models from the command line or behind other apps.
• Llama 3.2 3BA small, free model from Meta that runs on most laptops. The Q4_K_M file is a good balance.
• Llama 3.1 8BThe bigger brother. Smarter, but it wants a newer computer with more memory.

Misc

• Mesh Network SitesMy own list of Meshtastic and MeshCore groups across the country. Find the one near you.

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