I Don't Know What's Happening — Crisis Identification

Difficulty: 🟢 GREEN | Traditional Knowledge | Last Reviewed: 2026-03-12 | Region: Universal

A step-by-step guided diagnosis to identify your emergency type and reach the right survival guide.

Diagnosis Flowchart

Start here: Answer the questions below to identify your emergency type. Each answer leads you to a diagnosis and the right survival guide for your situation.

Q1: Do you hear explosions, gunfire, or see signs of armed conflict?

• If YES: Get down immediately. Stay away from windows and exterior walls. Do not go outside. This looks like an active conflict or war situation. Open the War & Conflict survival guide.
• If NO or unsure: Continue to Q2.

Q2: Is there flooding, rapidly rising water, or signs of severe storm damage?

• If YES: Move to higher ground immediately. Do not attempt to walk or drive through floodwater. This looks like a natural disaster. Open the Natural Disaster survival guide.
• If NO or unsure: Continue to Q3.

Q3: Is someone injured and needs immediate medical help?

• If YES: Stay calm. Keep the injured person still and warm. Apply pressure to any bleeding wounds. Someone needs urgent medical attention. Open the Medical emergency guide.
• If NO or unsure: Continue to Q4.

Q4: Do you see fire, smell smoke, or hear fire alarms?

• If YES: Get low and crawl below the smoke. Move toward the nearest exit. Do not use elevators. This is a fire emergency. Open the Fire survival guide.
• If NO or unsure: Continue to Q5.

Q5: Did you see a bright flash, feel a shockwave, or receive a nuclear/radiological alert?

• If YES: Get inside the nearest solid building immediately. Go to the basement or center. Stay away from windows. This may be a nuclear or radiological emergency. Open the Nuclear survival guide.
• If NO or unsure: Continue to Q6.

Q6: Are many people around you sick, or have authorities announced a disease outbreak or pandemic?

• If YES: This may be a disease outbreak or pandemic situation. Open the Pandemic survival guide.
• If NO or unsure: Continue to Q7.

Q7: Are you still unsure what type of emergency this is?

• If YES: Look for the most immediate danger around you: sounds, smells, movement, and what other people are doing. Browse all survival categories to find the guide that best matches your situation. You are not alone.
• If NO: You have likely identified your emergency type. Open the relevant survival guide for detailed steps.

Common Emergency Signs

Armed Conflict: Explosions, gunfire, sirens, military vehicles, visible destruction, large crowds of people running or sheltering.

Natural Disaster: Flooding, high winds, shaking ground, severe storm clouds, tornado warnings, sirens, rapid water rise, severe weather announcements.

Medical Emergency: Unconsciousness, severe bleeding, choking, chest pain, severe injuries, difficulty breathing, signs of poisoning.

Fire: Flames, heavy smoke, fire alarms, smoke smell, heat, people evacuating, orange/red glow in the distance.

Nuclear/Radiological: Bright flash (brighter than sun), strong shockwave, rumbling sound, radiation warning or alert, visible mushroom cloud (do not look).

Pandemic: Multiple people showing illness symptoms (cough, fever, difficulty breathing), official disease outbreak announcement, quarantine orders, hospitals overwhelmed.

If Still Unsure

It is completely normal to feel uncertain during an emergency. Your brain is processing a confusing situation. Take a moment. Observe. Think before acting.

Look around you:

• What sounds are you hearing? (Explosions, sirens, wind, silence)
• What smells are present? (Smoke, chemicals, nothing unusual)
• What movement do you see? (People running, normal activity, animals acting strangely)
• What are other people doing? (Running, sheltering, appearing calm)

The combination of these observations will guide you toward the correct emergency type. Browse all survival categories and find the guide that matches your situation best. The information you need is in this app, and you will find it.

Critical Actions for Any Emergency

1. Stay calm. Panic clouds judgment. Breathe slowly.
2. Assess your immediate safety. Are you in immediate danger?
3. Protect yourself first. You cannot help others if you are injured or dead.
4. Move away from danger if possible. Seek shelter or high ground.
5. Look for others. Help family members. Call for help if you can.
6. Use this guide. Find your emergency type and follow the steps.

You are doing the right thing by using this app. The fact that you are thinking, asking questions, and seeking information means you are taking the right approach. Trust yourself. Take the next step.

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See Also

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Tags: [crisis] [emergency identification] [diagnosis] [triage] [emergency type]