Back in the '50s and '60s, your home wasn't complete if you didn't have your own fallout shelter. This classic educational video shows you how to build your own.

Not long ago, a fire started close to my area. It moved fast, and through news reports, we watched it snake its way toward our sleepy, suburban neighbourhood. By evening, there were mandatory evacuations about 1km away from us.

It’s tough enough having to deal with the worst-case scenario Mother Nature can throw at you, whether it’s a hurricane, flood, or wildfire. But hey, when you’re done filling sandbags or packing up to evacuate, make sure all your bills are paid on time, OK?

This is one of those things you might not know if you don’t frequent bike shops (I didn’t) but apparently those tiny emergency hand pumps are not the only way to pump up your bike tires if you get a flat on the road. CO2 cartridge bike pumps are a thing, and I’d say they’re a hack.

You’re boarding up the windows. You’re stocking up on water. You’re scooping sandbags. But wait: Do you have cash? If you’re preparing for a cyclone, tropical storm, or other weather event that provides plenty of notice, you should add visiting the bank or ATM to your to-do list.

Having a little bit of cash on you at all times can help you avoid minor inconveniences. But if you think about using that cash you see peeking out of your wallet every time you reach for debit or credit, you may want to think about stashing some cash in another spot: Your car.

Sometimes, you're prepared for a flood and you can plan emergency supplies, a route out and everything you need to stay safe. Other times, floods arrives without warning. You need to be prepared for every eventuality, and this guide can help you map out an emergency flood situation.

In these cold, wintery months, Australia is far more prone to flooding than at any other time of the year. Across the world, the U.S. is facing a similar problem, with tropical storms bringing flash flooding across the region. Extreme weather warnings are rife across the globe, so it’s time that we issue the following demand, ever so calmly.

If you don't live earthquake country, experiencing one for the first time can be scary - and you might not know how best to prepare. When travelling to countries like the U.S. that exist on fault lines, it might just be something you'll need to know. Put that anxiety to good use and get your emergency kits ready.

Earthquakes are less common in Australia than other parts of the world, but that doesn't mean they don't happen. Due to their infrequency, the average Australian may be at a disadvantage in knowing how to deal with one.

Earthquakes are some of Mother Nature’s more violent shows of power, but there are still things you can do to protect yourself and your family. When you feel the ground shaking, follow these rules.

Even if you don’t live in a hurricane-prone area like I do, there’s no excuse for not having an emergency kit ready for the worst-case scenario, whether it be a bush fire, a flood or an earthquake. And yes, the latter can happen in Australia - remember Newcastle in 1989?

You see those green, billowing storm clouds over there? Those are bad. Not because you'll get whisked away to some annoying musical world - no, because those clouds mean that storm is particularly nasty and dangerous. It might even mean a tornado is approaching.

Natural disaster responses increasingly rely on electronic devices for communication. In the aftermath of a destructive storm, your phone or tablet can be a literal lifeline — so it needs to actually work.

Video: Flash floods can strike with almost no warning, so it pays to be prepared. It doesn’t take much for rain to escalate from a light drizzle to a deadly emergency situation. In the event the dry land around you transforms into a raging river, these tips can keep you from being swept away.

Enochlophobia, or the fear of crowds, is a very real phobia. And when you’re in the middle of a panicked mob swarming to an exit, that fear seems entirely rational.

It doesn’t happen often, but emergency services can go down. Currently, 911 service is down across several states in the U.S. after a massive outage at a CenturyLink data center. While some of the initially-out-of-service cities are already up and running again, others are still down.

Climate change used to seem like something that would confront our grandchildren — a distant concern. Now, though, it’s staring us right in the face when we get up in the morning.

Often, there’s a moment early in a medical emergency when you know something is wrong, but aren’t sure you want to call 000. When I reacted to some antibiotics by breaking out in hives earlier this year, I stared at my phone for about 15 minutes before calling 000 — I knew something was wrong, but I didn’t know what to do and I wasn’t sure that the problem was so urgent that I needed ambulance, which is a real expense even if you have insurance.

In a power outage, a 9 volt battery can give your phone enough juice to make a call or send a few texts. You may have seen this hack before, but it works especially well in this variation where you use the spring from a pen to connect the negative terminal.