Iceland issues emergency guide to help residents prepare for emergencies

Icelandic authorities have published a guide to help residents prepare for serious emergencies and disruptions to essential services, mbl.is reported. The 24-page booklet, titled Verum viðbúin, will be sent electronically through Ísland.is to everyone aged 18 and over.

From Wednesday through Sunday, the Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue, Landsbjörg, will also distribute the booklet nationwide alongside its annual sale of the Neyðarkall emergency fundraising item. The guide is available at verumvidbuin.is and will also be published in English, Polish and Icelandic Sign Language.

It explains how households can prepare for prolonged power cuts, communications outages, disruptions to water and heating supplies, and shortages of essential goods. Residents are advised to keep enough food, water and other necessities to meet basic needs for at least three days.

The guide also recommends keeping cash at home, as power cuts, cyberattacks or technical failures could disrupt electronic payments. It does not specify an amount, saying this depends on the size and needs of each household. Other suggested supplies include flashlights, batteries, power banks, a battery-powered radio, first-aid equipment and a way to cook without electricity.

Rás 2, a radio station operated by Iceland’s national broadcaster, is identified as the emergency channel. Messages from the authorities will be broadcast there during an emergency.

The booklet says international tensions and armed conflicts in Europe and elsewhere could affect Iceland. It notes that the country relies heavily on electricity, communications and imported essential goods, leaving it vulnerable to disruptions. It also offers guidance on household emergency plans, evacuations, responding when information is unavailable, and supporting children, older people, disabled people and others who may be vulnerable.

“When more people are prepared, emergency responders can better help those who need assistance most,” the booklet says.

The guide had originally been expected to be published in spring 2025. In March, Foreign Minister Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir told Morgunblaðið it was due to be sent to residents in the autumn and would be based on similar Nordic guides, adapted to Icelandic conditions. Later that month, Runólfur Þórhallsson, head of the civil protection department at the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, said it would provide information about emergency supplies and other preparations in case Iceland were attacked.