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The CDC's Zombie Apocalypse Guide Was Real: What It Teaches

Writer: Samantha S
Samantha S
4 days ago
10 min read

Updated: 2 days ago

Yes, this really happened. In May 2011, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published a blog post called "Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse." It was a joke with a serious job: get people who never read emergency advice to build a kit and make a plan. It worked so well that the blog's servers crashed. Fifteen years later, the CDC's zombie guide is still one of the friendliest ways to start prepping, because a household that's ready for the undead is also ready for a storm, a power outage, or a boil-water notice. Here's the real story, what the CDC actually told people to pack, and how to turn it into a fun, low-stress Halloween project for your family.

Yes, the CDC Really Published a Zombie Apocalypse Guide

The post went up on the CDC's Public Health Matters blog on May 16, 2011. It was written by Dr. Ali S. Khan, then director of the CDC's Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. The original text is preserved in the CDC Stacks digital library, and it opens like this:

"There are all kinds of emergencies out there that we can prepare for. Take a zombie apocalypse for example. That's right, I said z-o-m-b-i-e a-p-o-c-a-l-y-p-s-e. You may laugh now, but when it happens you'll be happy you read this, and hey, maybe you'll even learn a thing or two about how to prepare for a real emergency."

The timing wasn't random. Reuters reported that the campaign was a social media push to get Americans ready for the June 1 start of hurricane season. Zombies were the hook. Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and pandemics were the point.

The post went viral and crashed the blog

A CDC tweet promoting the post sent so many readers to the blog that it went down for several hours. CDC communications official Dave Daigle told Nextgov that the post had about 30,000 hits when the blog crashed, roughly three times more than any earlier post. A typical post got 1,000 to 3,000 hits. Traffic then rose to around 60,000.

In a 2012 case study presentation, CDC health communication specialist Maggie Silver reported that the blog topped 800,000 page views in a single day. That was more than the peak day of any emergency other than H1N1. The presentation also counted more than 3,000 articles and news broadcasts in the first week. It listed the campaign's cost as $87.

Then came the graphic novel

The CDC kept going. In 2011 it also released Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic, a free graphic novel made by a CDC team that included Maggie Silver. Readers follow Todd, Julie, and their dog Max as a strange new disease starts turning people into zombies, and a twist at the end drives home why being prepared matters. A preparedness checklist is printed in the back. The CDC Stacks library lists it as public domain, so you can download and read it with your kids. The case study also mentions zombie posters, T-shirts, a video contest, and partner campaigns.

Why the Zombie Angle Worked (and Still Does)

The campaign's tagline sums up the whole idea: "If you're prepared for a zombie apocalypse, you're prepared for any emergency."

Most preparedness advice is dull, and a lot of it leans on fear. The CDC flipped that. A zombie outbreak is silly enough that nobody feels lectured, and it still covers every hazard. If zombies are roaming the streets, you can't get to the store, the power and water might be out, you might have to leave fast, and you need a way to find your family. Those are the same problems a hurricane, wildfire, ice storm, or earthquake creates.

The post even stayed true to the CDC's day job. As Nextgov summarized it, Khan wrote that if zombies did start roaming the streets, the CDC would investigate it much like any other disease outbreak, working with state and local officials and testing in the lab to find the source. The CDC's 2012 case study lists why it worked: listening to the audience, relevance, a sense of humor, brand identity, and timing. One reader comment it quotes says the zombie post was "quite possibly the only way" the CDC could have gotten that person to read an emergency preparedness blog.

That's a good lesson for your own family. If prepping feels scary or overwhelming, make it a game.

The CDC Zombie Kit, Translated for Real Emergencies

The original post asked readers to keep an emergency kit at home with enough supplies "to get you through the first couple of days before you can locate a zombie-free refugee camp." In real life, that means riding out the first few days until help arrives, roads open, or the power comes back. Here is the CDC's 2011 list, with today's Ready.gov kit guidance added where it goes further.

1. Water: 1 gallon per person per day

This number hasn't changed. The CDC's zombie post and Ready.gov both say one gallon per person per day, and Ready.gov says to plan for several days, for drinking and sanitation. A family of four needs at least 12 gallons for three days. Pets need water too. For the full math and storage tips, see our guide to how much water to store for a family emergency.

2. Food: non-perishable items you actually eat

The CDC's wording is worth copying: "stock up on non-perishable items that you eat regularly." Food your family already likes gets rotated and eaten instead of expiring in the back of a closet. Add a manual can opener, which Ready.gov lists as a basic item. For a go-bag or car kit, a compact ration like the Datrex 2400 Calorie Emergency Food Ration packs 12 portioned bars with 2,400 calories in total. It's no-cook food that lives in a bag for the day you need it.

Checking dates on what you already have? See How Long Does Canned Food Last? Shelf Life + Safety Chart.

3. Medications

The CDC's list includes both prescription and non-prescription medicines. Ready.gov notes that about half of Americans take a prescription medicine every day, and that an emergency can make it hard to refill one or find an open pharmacy. Keep a written list of each family member's medicines and doses with your kit. Ask your pharmacist or doctor how to keep a small extra supply on hand safely.

4. Tools and supplies: light, radio, and the basics

The CDC called out a utility knife, duct tape, and a battery-powered radio. Ready.gov's list adds a flashlight, extra batteries, a whistle to signal for help, a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, local maps, and a phone charger with a backup battery. For the radio, Ready.gov recommends a battery-powered or hand-crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with a tone alert.

A headlamp is one of the most useful upgrades because it keeps both hands free for cooking, first aid, or carrying a sleepy kid. The Rothco Cree LED Headlamp costs less than a pizza, so it's easy to put one in every kit. Pack spare batteries with it and check them twice a year. Our power outage kit guide goes deeper on light and radio choices.

5. Sanitation and hygiene

The CDC listed household bleach, soap, and towels. Ready.gov adds moist towelettes, garbage bags, plastic ties, hand sanitizer, and feminine and personal hygiene items. When the water is off, staying clean is how you keep a small problem, like a cut or a stomach bug, from becoming a big one.

6. Clothing and bedding

Pack a change of clothes for each family member and blankets. Ready.gov adds sturdy shoes and a sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. In late fall, a warm layer matters more than people expect. See our guide on how to layer for a cold-weather emergency.

7. Important documents

The CDC suggested copies of your driver's license, passport, and birth certificate. Ready.gov adds insurance policies and bank records, saved electronically or kept in a waterproof, portable container. A zip-top bag inside your kit is better than nothing. A flash drive or password-protected cloud copy is better still.

8. First aid supplies

This is where the CDC slipped in its best joke: "although you're a goner if a zombie bites you, you can use these supplies to treat basic cuts and lacerations that you might get during a tornado or hurricane." A ready-made kit saves you from collecting dozens of small items one at a time. The Rothco General Purpose First Aid Kit holds more than 60 supplies, including bandages, tape, iodine wipes, and antibiotic ointment, in a gasket-sealed hard case that keeps out water and dirt. Add any personal items your family needs. Remember that a kit is for minor injuries. For anything serious, such as heavy bleeding, trouble breathing, chest pain, or a head injury, call 911.

To check what's inside your kit, use our First Aid Kit Checklist.

Put it all in one bag you can grab

Ready.gov suggests storing supplies in airtight plastic bags inside one or two easy-to-carry containers, like a plastic bin or a duffel bag. If you might need to leave in a hurry, a backpack keeps your hands free. The Rothco MOLLE II 3-Day Assault Pack is sized for a 72-hour kit, with several compartments for food, water, clothing, and first aid.

For the full item-by-item list, see our Bug Out Bag Checklist: What to Pack for 72 Hours.

The Zombie Plan: 4 Steps Straight From the CDC

A kit is only half of it. The CDC told readers to sit down with their family and make a plan, covering "where you would go and who you would call if zombies started appearing outside your door step." Here are its four steps, which still match Ready.gov's planning advice:

  1. Know your local risks. Besides a zombie apocalypse, the CDC said, these might include floods, tornadoes, or earthquakes. If you're not sure, it suggested asking your local Red Cross chapter.

  2. Pick two meeting places. Pick one right outside your home for sudden emergencies like a fire, and one outside your neighborhood in case you can't get back home.

  3. List your emergency contacts. Write down local numbers like the police and fire department (the CDC also listed "your local zombie response team"). Add an out-of-state contact everyone can call to say they're OK.

  4. Plan your evacuation route, plus a backup. "When zombies are hungry they won't stop until they get food (i.e., brains)," the post warned, so plan where you'd go and more than one way to get there. The same plan works when a storm or wildfire forces you out.

Write it all on paper. Phones die, and in a real emergency, cell networks can get overloaded.

Make It a Halloween Family Project

Here's a no-fear way to use the CDC's zombie idea this week. It takes about an hour, and kids usually love it.

  • Read the comic together. Download Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic and read it on the couch. Ask the kids what Todd and Julie should have packed.

  • Hold a "zombie kit" scavenger hunt. Give everyone the 8-item list above and see who can find the flashlight, the batteries, the first aid kit, and the can opener first. Whatever nobody can find goes on your shopping list.

  • Run a 2-minute zombie drill. Call out "zombies!" and have everyone walk to the outside meeting spot. Then talk through where the farther meeting place is.

  • Make contact cards. Have each person write the out-of-state contact's number on an index card for their backpack or wallet.

  • Test your lights. Turn off the lights after trick-or-treating and see which flashlights and headlamps actually work.

Keep the mood light. The point is to make the kit and plan feel normal, not scary.

Where to Keep Your Kits

You don't know where you'll be when something happens, so Ready.gov recommends kits for home, work, and the car. Keep the home kit in one spot everyone knows. Keep enough at work to shelter there for at least 24 hours, including comfortable walking shoes. Keep supplies in your car in case you're stranded. If you live in a small space, our guide to apartment and HOA prepping has storage ideas.

Then put a reminder on your calendar. Ready.gov says to replace expired items and rethink your needs every year. Halloween is an easy date to remember.

Quick "Zombie-Ready" Checklist

  • Water: 1 gallon per person per day, for several days

  • Non-perishable food you eat, plus a manual can opener

  • Prescription and non-prescription medicines, plus a written list

  • Flashlight or headlamp, extra batteries, and a battery-powered or hand-crank radio

  • Utility knife, duct tape, whistle, and a wrench or pliers

  • Soap, bleach, wipes, garbage bags, and hygiene items

  • A change of clothes and a blanket for each person

  • Copies of IDs, insurance, and other key documents

  • First aid kit

  • A written family plan: two meeting places, contacts, and two routes out

FAQ

Was the CDC zombie apocalypse guide real?

Yes. The CDC published "Preparedness 101: Zombie Apocalypse" on its Public Health Matters blog on May 16, 2011. It was written by Dr. Ali S. Khan, and the text is archived in the CDC Stacks library. It was a lighthearted way to teach real emergency preparedness ahead of hurricane season.

Did the CDC think zombies were a real threat?

No. Zombies were a hook to get people interested. Every tip in the post was about real hazards like hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, and pandemics, and the CDC's tagline was that if you're ready for a zombie apocalypse, you're ready for any emergency.

What did the CDC say to put in a zombie emergency kit?

Water (1 gallon per person per day), non-perishable food you eat regularly, medications, tools and supplies like a utility knife, duct tape, and a battery-powered radio, sanitation and hygiene items, clothing and bedding, copies of important documents, and first aid supplies.

Where can I read the CDC zombie graphic novel?

"Preparedness 101: Zombie Pandemic" is free on the CDC Stacks website and is listed as public domain. It includes a preparedness checklist at the end.

How long should an emergency kit last?

The CDC's 2011 post talked about getting through "the first couple of days." Ready.gov now says to plan for several days of food and water. Three days is a common starting goal, and you can build up from there as space and budget allow.

Is the CDC zombie campaign still running?

No. Snopes reports that the CDC retired its zombie preparedness campaign in early 2022. The kit and plan advice still holds, and Ready.gov keeps the current version of the basic kit list.

Sources

This article is general preparedness information, not medical advice. In a life-threatening emergency, call 911.

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