October 2026
Be ready, not afraid.
A quick guide to protect you and your loved ones from the power grid problems and AI attacks happening right now.
All it takes is one shopping trip and one evening on your phone.
AI is making it easier to attack the power grid, and the grid has never been more fragile. Its defenses are years behind the technology coming at it.
This is real, and getting ready is simple. Think of it like a spare tire: hope you never need it, glad you have it.
Why now?
Just in the last couple of weeks:
- Power · Oct 2026The Pentagon is getting military bases ready to run 90 days without the power grid. If they're planning for it, a family can plan for two weeks.Fox News · DefenseScoop
- Power · Oct 14 – 28The UK government told every household to keep water and canned food at home in case of a power cut. Live UK trackers showed 949 unplanned power cuts at once on Oct 25, and 137 on Oct 28.Grocery Gazette · live trackers: UK Power Cut · Global Incident Tracker
- Hacking · Oct 21Hackers hit a flaw in the software behind millions of websites. Attacks jumped from thousands to millions within hours.TechCrunch
- Hacking · Oct 23Quest Diagnostics, the lab many US doctors use, confirmed patients' records were accessed.TechCrunch
- Hacking · Oct 16Millions of California students' records were stolen with one stolen login.Malwarebytes
This isn't a prediction that the lights go out. It's just wise to be ready: hope for the best, prepare for the worst. That's all we're doing here: be ready at home, and be a hard target online.
Pick where to start
Two sides. Tap one. Each starts with 3 easy steps.
Do these 3 this week
- One shopping tripGet 15 gallons of drinking water.Enough for 2 people for 2 weeks. More people? About 7½ gallons each.
- Same tripBuy the 8-item food list.Rice, pasta, oats, peanut butter, oil, beans, tuna. Feeds 2 people for 2 weeks.See the list
- Order onlineGet a radio, power banks and a light for each person.Radio = news when phones are down. Power banks = phones stay on.See the gear
If the power goes out
- Fill the bathtub and water jugs right away.Water can stop when the pumps lose power.
- Keep the fridge and freezer shut.Fridge stays cold about 4 hours, a full freezer about 2 days. Eat the fridge first.
- Grills and generators stay outside.20+ feet from doors and windows. Carbon monoxide has no smell and kills.
- Never plug a generator into a wall outlet.It can kill a line worker.
- Text, don't call. Turn on the radio.Texts get through when calls don't.
- Unplug electronics, leave one lamp on.So the surge when power returns doesn't fry them.
- Check on your neighbors.Especially older folks and anyone on medical equipment.
See more
Tap to open. Tick items off as you get them (saved on your phone only).
The food lists2 weeks and 1 month, for 2 people
2 weeks
Make it a month
Everything above, plus:
More than 2 people? Buy one list for every 2. Rice, pasta and oats need boiling water, so keep a grill or camp stove with spare fuel. Buy what your family actually eats, and use it and replace it over time. Pets, babies or special diets: add what they need.
The gear listRadio, power, light, water, first aid
Brands are just proven examples. Any good one works.
Worth adding
Order it all at onceOne cart, bigger kit
apartmentdoomsdaykit.com fills an Amazon cart in two taps: food, water, light, medicine and tools for 90 days. Set how many people, check the cart, buy. It's bigger than this page (about $1,000 for two), so the lists above are the budget start.
A medical guide that works with no internetFree, 10 minutes on Wi-Fi
- Install the free Kiwix app: iPhone · Android.
- Tap Library, search each title below, and download it on Wi-Fi.
- Turn on airplane mode and open each one to check it works.
Want more? All of Wikipedia, how-to guides and repair manuals are free at library.kiwix.org.
Most hacks are automatic and go after the easy targets. These steps make you a hard one. No tech skills needed.
Never do these
- Never give a login code or password to anyone who contacts you. Real banks, the IRS, Apple and Google never ask.
- Scary call or text about your bank, a package or a toll? Hang up. Call the number on your card or the official website.
- Gift cards, wire transfers, crypto or "don't tell anyone" = scam. Every time.
Do these 3 this week
- 5 minutes, in personPick a family safe word.If someone calls in a panic asking for money, ask for the word. Agree on it in person or on a call, never by text.
- 15 minutesFreeze your credit.Free, doesn't hurt your score, and nobody can open a loan in your name. Do all three: Equifax · Experian · TransUnion.
- 5 minutesLock your phone number.So nobody can move your number to their phone. Verizon "Number Lock," AT&T "Wireless Account Lock," T-Mobile "SIM Protection."
See more
7 more steps when you have timeAbout 45 minutes in all
- Turn on purchase alerts for every card, set to $1, so you see fraud the same day.
- Turn on automatic updates on your phone and computer.
- Get a password manager (1Password, or Apple's Passwords app) and give your email and bank new, long passwords. Stop reusing passwords.
- Turn on two-step login for email, Apple or Google, banks and social media. Save the backup codes on paper.
- Lock your phone: a 6-digit passcode, Find My on, and on iPhone, Stolen Device Protection.
- Check your home Wi-Fi: update the router, change its admin password, put smart TVs and cameras on the guest network.
- Get an IRS Identity Protection PIN at irs.gov/ippin so nobody can file taxes in your name.
That's it. This is a head start, not everything. If you need help, reach out.
God bless you. We got this, and He's got us.
Love you all,
Isaiah