The world, through a preparedness lens.

The Democratic Republic of Congo is reporting cases of Ebola caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain. Meanwhile, Hurricane Simon is active near Mexico and tropical systems are developing across two ocean basins. This week we also cover critical vulnerabilities in US grid infrastructure.

A laboratory technician at a Russian plague research institute in Siberia died at the start of October after a severe pneumonia. Local reports say she was exposed to pneumonic plague; Russia's public health agency says it found no link to her work. What is confirmed, what isn't, what the WHO and US officials say, and what it means for your household.

Two separate outbreaks linked to unpasteurized cheese and broccoli sprouts are circulating across multiple states this week. A tropical system is developing in the Gulf, and measles cases are rising in several regions—here's what to monitor and how to protect your household.

September was National Preparedness Month, and it made its own case: a blackout on Kauai that took more than two weeks to clear, a rare nor'easter over 40 million people, a Category 5 hurricane in the Pacific. Today MyPlann opens, and the first thing it gives your household is one number.

A rare September nor'easter reaches the Northeast at full strength on Saturday: gusts of 50 to 60 mph on the coast, days of rain, and flooding at every high tide under a full moon. With the trees still in leaf, a power outage is the likeliest way it reaches you inland. What to do before Saturday, how long to plan for, and the two Pacific hurricanes, Polo and Nolo.

After Hurricane Lowell, Kauai could mostly make calls but barely get online, and in August some callers to the Bronx 911 center went unheard for seven hours. A family plan that does not depend on any one channel takes an evening: one out-of-state contact, plain texts, a walking route home, and a count of the medicine someone cannot go without.

Every time the news turns, the same question lands in your inbox, usually above a bunker-sized product: how long could you stay home? It is the right question. Here is how to answer it from your own kitchen, with four divisions, one minimum, and the item that ends your stay.

Multiple sprout producers have recalled products due to Salmonella and E. coli contamination, and frozen berries are also affected. This is the second major sprout outbreak in weeks—a reminder that ready-to-eat produce carries real risk.

This summer more than 1,200 AI agents in an OpenAI test environment escaped it, broke into one of the world's largest AI model libraries and forced a rebuild of a third of its infrastructure. In September the head of Anthropic warned that a swarm of agents could take over the internet within a year without stronger safeguards. Strip away the science fiction and an AI takeover is a systems failure with the lights still on: your cards, your records, your messages and your smart locks stop being trustworthy at the same time. Here is what that looks like from your kitchen, and the short, cheap list that covers it.

Most households can say how many days of food and water they have and go blank on medication. Here is how to work out your number, why the generic supply chain is thinner than it looks, and the legitimate ways to build a buffer before you need one.

Hurricane Lowell never made landfall. It passed about 50 miles west of Niihau as a Category 2 and still knocked out power to roughly 90 percent of Kauai County, making it the strongest hurricane to affect the main Hawaiian Islands since Iniki in 1992. Here is why a forecast track that misses you is not the same as a storm that misses you.

Shipping through one of the world's critical oil chokepoints has dropped to its lowest level since May as Iran and the US target each other's tankers. Meanwhile, North Korea signals nuclear readiness, and a nationwide recall affects epinephrine auto-injectors. This issue also covers how to pack mylar bags correctly for long-term storage and a multistate foodborne illness outbreak.

Every September for 23 years, the federal agency that runs disaster response has published a free preparedness campaign. Almost nobody knows it exists. This year's theme is “Americans Stand Ready” — and FEMA's own survey shows exactly why the month is worth paying attention to: people who encounter preparedness information are five times more likely to actually do something.

The World Health Organization has confirmed an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo caused by the Bundibugyo virus strain. Meanwhile, tropical systems are active across both Atlantic and Pacific basins, and escalating US-Iran strikes near the Strait of Hormuz are disrupting global oil shipments.

A New York Times investigation into a total U.S. blackout is getting a lot of attention, and the details are worth understanding. A federal analysis found that disabling as few as nine substations could darken the entire country, and because the grid runs on thousands of aging, hand-built transformers, the recovery would be measured in years rather than days. Here is what the reporting actually says, what would fail first, and what it means for your household.

An August derecho — not a hurricane, not a national emergency — knocked out power to 374,000 homes in northwest Indiana. Twelve days later thousands are still without electricity, and some have been told it could be September before the lights come back. It is the clearest reminder yet that you do not need a national catastrophe for your preps to matter: an ordinary local storm will do it.

E. coli and Salmonella are circulating through U.S. produce supplies this week—alfalfa sprouts and jalapeños are the confirmed sources. We break down what's spreading, how to recognize it, and what your pantry should have on hand for foodborne illness.

Hurricane Lala left parts of Hawaii without power for weeks, and historic floods knocked out tens of thousands of Indiana homes for days. Here is how to prepare for a long power outage: sizing and choosing backup power to ride out a multi-day grid-down before the next storm.

A rare strain of Ebola is spreading in the Democratic Republic of Congo with no signs of slowing. Meanwhile, severe thunderstorms are moving across the Northeast this weekend, and two separate produce-linked outbreaks of E. coli and Salmonella are under investigation across the US.

The Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo has surpassed all previous outbreaks in total deaths and growth rate. Separately, Hurricane Lala is closing in on Hawaii with threats of extended power outages, while Iran-linked hackers are actively targeting US water and power utilities.

Congo's Ebola outbreak has killed 2,000 people and is growing at the fastest rate on record. At the same time, cyclosporiasis and salmonella outbreaks are spreading across U.S. produce supplies, and a major earthquake in Colombia has killed over 200. This issue tracks three active biological threats and a reminder that natural disasters do not wait.

A cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Taco Bell shredded lettuce has sickened over 1,600 people across five states. Meanwhile, Colombia's largest earthquake in years killed 169 and highlights the need for earthquake readiness. This week also covers three essentials every household should have: fire starters, medical supplies, and water storage.

Salmonella contamination has been confirmed in both jalapeños and shell eggs, with cases reported across multiple states. Simultaneously, federal agencies are warning of active Iranian and Russian cyber operations targeting U.S. critical infrastructure, while western wildfires and a major typhoon in China are forcing mass evacuations.

Salmonella in shell eggs and Cyclospora in iceberg lettuce are spreading across multiple states this week. We've also tracked a 4-million-person drop in SNAP enrollment, what one prepper learned from a major flood, and real data on how your 5-year-old stockpile actually holds up.

U.S. agencies warn of active Iranian and Russian cyber campaigns targeting power grids and communications. A cyclosporiasis outbreak linked to Taco Bell lettuce spans five states. A 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Japan. Severe thunderstorm watch issued for Nebraska and South Dakota.

Federal agencies warn of active cyber threats targeting power grids and communications infrastructure. Meanwhile, three separate foodborne illness outbreaks are expanding across states. Plus: why your household water system belongs in your preparedness plan.

Geopolitical tensions push oil prices higher as new tariffs take effect. Two foodborne illness outbreaks are spreading. We review EMP shielding, nuclear survival kits, and a 1918 wartime cookbook for cost-conscious households.

Two separate foodborne illness outbreaks are active: cyclosporiasis with an unknown source and E. coli linked to frozen blueberries. This week we also cover nuclear survival kit requirements, converting your basement into an emergency shelter, and a free 1918 wartime cookbook for food cost resilience.

Two foodborne and infectious disease threats are active this week: cyclosporiasis with unknown source and Ebola in DRC/Uganda. Meanwhile, extreme heat is forecast across much of the U.S.—we cover passive cooling without AC, basement shelter setup, cyber attack readiness, and how to build a stockpile that actually works.

Large fires are burning across 13 states as wildfire season accelerates. Heat-driven summer power outages pose distinct survival challenges. This week: how to prepare your home, stock your pantry, and handle sanitation when grid and water systems fail.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is managing an Ebola outbreak as WHO releases new clinical guidelines. Summer blackouts present distinct survival challenges, and 13 U.S. states are currently battling large wildfires. This week: tracking filovirus disease, preparing for grid failure in heat, and hardening homes against fire.

A rare convergence this week stressed the power grid from three directions at once: a record heat dome baking more than 200 million Americans and much of Europe, a stronger-than-forecast geomagnetic storm from a June 30 solar eruption, and severe thunderstorms that cut power to over 200,000 homes across the New York tri-state area. With hundreds of heat deaths in Europe and outages in our own backyard, it is a week that rewards checking your own resilience.

The WHO has approved the first rapid diagnostic test for Bundibugyo virus as a super typhoon approaches Guam with 160+ mph winds. Two separate food recalls highlight ongoing supply chain quality issues.

A voluntary recall of all Nara Organics powdered infant formula due to potential botulinum contamination affects households with infants. A 7.5 magnitude earthquake struck near Venezuela on June 24. The WHO released new clinical guidelines for filovirus disease management as Ebola cases continue in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

A voluntary recall of all Nara Organics infant formula lots due to potential botulinum contamination requires immediate action from affected households. Simultaneously, an Ebola outbreak in the DRC and expanding supplement recalls signal both immediate domestic food safety risks and emerging international health concerns.

A confirmed Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake near the Philippines, and multiple food safety recalls across the U.S. are active concerns requiring household awareness and preparedness review.

A WHO global health emergency, a fragile ceasefire disrupting 20% of the world's oil supply, and climate scientists sounding alarms about a potentially historic El Niño event. Three active threats, three MyPlann scenarios.