Survival rules · Based on official sources

When the Air-Raid Warning Sounds: From Finding Shelter to After the All Clear

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Surviving an air-raid warning is simple. Don't watch — go to the nearest sturdy underground place, stay away from windows, drop flat at a blast, and follow official guidance. This article draws on the South Korean Ministry of the Interior and Safety's National Disaster Safety Portal and Seoul city civil defence guidance, together with records of the 1940 London Blitz (London Museum, Imperial War Museum, Transport for London). In a real situation, always check the latest official guidance first.

1. When the warning sounds: go to the nearest underground place at once

• In South Korea, when an air-raid warning sounds, stop what you're doing and move to the nearest civil defence shelter. If there is no shelter nearby, go to an underground facility such as a subway station or underground shopping arcade (Seoul city civil defence drill guidance).
• At home, cut off the electricity and gas, and go down to the building's basement by the emergency stairs instead of the lift (district civil defence guidance in South Korea).
• If you're driving, pull over to the right side of the road and listen to the radio for instructions.
• In South Korea, find your shelter in advance on the National Disaster Safety Portal (Civil Defence → Emergency Facilities → Shelters) or in the “Safety Didimdol” app.

2. Lessons from London in 1940: depth and distance

• On 7 September 1940, the first day of the Blitz, the warning sounded at 16:43 and soon massive bombing of the dock area began. That night about 430 people died in London and 1,600 were seriously injured (London Museum).
• The government at first discouraged sheltering in Tube stations, but citizens bought platform tickets and went down, and on 21 September about 120,000 people spent the night in stations (Transport for London records).
• Even deep places weren't perfect. On 14 October 1940 a bomb hit the road above Balham station, bursting water mains and sending earth and water pouring in; over 60 people died (Commonwealth War Graves Commission records).
• Some public brick shelters were built with lime mortar instead of cement and collapsed in close blasts. Near does not mean sturdy.

3. Stay away from windows

• The most common air-raid injury was glass shards flung by blast. In 1940 London taped its windows and told people to move away from them during raids.
• If you can't reach a shelter, go to an inner room, corridor or stairwell with no windows and several layers of wall.

4. When you hear a blast: drop flat where you are

• When you hear a blast or a falling bomb, don't run or look up; drop flat where you are and cover your head with both arms. Blast and fragments mostly pass at standing height.
• Running to a doorway to look outside is the most dangerous thing.

5. Fire and smoke

• In 1940 London households were told to keep a bucket of water, a bucket of sand and a stirrup pump against incendiaries. Fine spray for the bomb, a jet for spreading fire, and, without a pump, sand to cover it and scoop it away. A hard stream of water straight on a bomb scattered sparks (British civil defence handbook, IWM).
• In smoke, cover your mouth with a wet cloth and crawl along the floor. The air there is cooler and clearer.
• A cellar under a building with timber or oil stored above becomes a smoke trap once it catches fire.

6. Collapsed buildings and the smell of gas

• If you smell gas, light no match or lighter and touch no electric switch; shut the valve, leave the spot and report it.
• If someone is buried in a collapsed building, don't pull out bricks or beams carelessly. The remaining rubble will fall again. Mark where the sound came from and tell the rescue squad exactly.

7. Official guidance over rumours

• In an emergency, rumours like “gas has fallen” or “the shelter's full” spread fast. In 1940 London, gas attacks were to be signalled only by the warden's rattle (no gas was actually used).
• Today, check official channels such as sirens, voice broadcasts, emergency alerts and radio. Someone selling shelter places for money is not an official.

8. After the All Clear

• Even once the warning is lifted, collapsed buildings, broken wires and unexploded ordnance remain. In 1940 London, bombs that fell without exploding sometimes went off hours later, so they were roped off.
• Don't cross cordons; go back as the people guiding you direct. Don't go into burned buildings for belongings.

9. What to do in advance

• Find two or three civil defence shelters near your home, work or school ahead of time (in South Korea, via the National Disaster Safety Portal or Safety Didimdol).
• Keep a torch, a portable radio, water and basic medicines in one place.
• Agree with your family where to meet if you lose contact.

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