Immediate danger to life: call 999 or 112.
UK Ready is an independent information site. Current official instructions for your area take priority over this general guidance.
Sources checked 13 October 2026
Follow the area, timing, route and destination in the official instruction. If you cannot use the suggested transport, say so early and explain mobility, equipment or caring needs. Do not assume a council rest centre is open, that every centre can support every medical need, or that an online map gives a safe route through an incident.
When there is time to gather essentials: Take medicines, necessary equipment, water, ready-to-eat food, a torch, phone and power bank, warm or waterproof clothes, shoes, key documents, keys and a manageable amount of cash and payment cards. Include glasses, hearing aids, chargers and supplies for children and pets. Bring your paper plan and emergency contacts.
Do not delay escaping a fire or weapons attack to retrieve any of these. If you can safely do so during an instructed evacuation, secure the home and follow specific utility instructions. Do not turn off gas or electricity blindly or spend time near unsafe equipment.
Without a car: Identify an accessible relative's home or other arrangement before an emergency. Know who could assist and how to reach them if an app fails. During an incident, use transport arranged or approved by the authorities where offered. Do not set off on a long walk in severe weather or through a contamination zone simply because roads are busy.
During travel: Keep the household together, obey closures and cordons, and avoid shortcuts through floodwater or restricted land. Tell a trusted contact where you are going when safe. Carry only what the household can manage; a full household water reserve belongs in a storage plan, not every evacuation bag.
At the destination, tell staff about medicines, disability, feeding needs and assistance animals. Follow any contamination screening or cleaning instructions before mixing with other evacuees. Keep sensitive information private and do not post an empty home's address publicly.
Returning: Wait for official permission and check utilities, structural safety and food or water restrictions. A neighbour entering their home does not establish that yours is safe.