Urban winter survival: protecting yourself from blasts and beating the cold
▶ Play free nowNo install · phone & PC · about 4 min per runCollapsed buildings, no heating or water, nights below freezing. The order in which a person stranded in a winter city survives is surprisingly simple: get low at explosions, stay at an inner wall away from windows, and protect your body heat, your water and your feet. This guide is based on the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Korea's National Disaster Safety Portal, US municipal emergency-management guidance and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). In a real emergency, call your local emergency number first.
1. If an explosion goes off nearby
- Drop flat on the floor at once. Standing or running, you take the blast and fragments with your whole body.
- Cover your ears and eyes and keep your mouth slightly open (National Disaster Safety Portal explosion guidance).
- Even after it stops, don't get up and go to the window right away. More may come.
2. Where to stay: an inner wall with no windows
Blast, glass and fragments mostly come through windows and open spaces. A basement or the inside of a building, at a wall far from windows and doors, is safest. Avoid cracked ceilings, and lower floors are warmer than wind-blown upper floors.
3. Light, smoke and silhouettes
Small lights and smoke at night are visible much further than you think. If you need fire, use it inside with doors and windows covered. When using fire indoors, watch out for carbon monoxide and keep ventilation open. Standing at a window shows your outline against the bright outside.
4. Water: melt the snow
Eating raw snow makes your body burn heat to melt it, lowering your temperature. Municipal winter-storm guidance says to melt snow before eating it. Boil it if you can.
5. Hypothermia: signs and first aid
The CDC lists the signs as shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, slurred speech and drowsiness. If shivering stops and drowsiness sets in, it is more dangerous. Move the person somewhere warm, remove wet clothing and warm the centre of the body first. Don't force drinks on an unconscious person; get emergency help right away.
6. Frostbite: don't rub, thaw slowly
- Signs: white or greyish-yellow skin, skin that feels firm or waxy, numbness.
- Don't rub or massage it. Don't scrub it with snow either.
- Thaw it slowly with body heat (e.g. an armpit) or warm — not hot — water.
- Numb skin burns easily, so don't hold it against a fire, stove or heater (CDC).
7. Wet feet: preventing trench foot
Feet that stay wet for long develop trench foot (immersion foot). The CDC advises cleaning and drying your feet, changing into dry socks and raising your bare feet while sleeping. If you see redness, tingling, swelling or blisters, get treatment quickly.
8. Food and hygiene
In the cold, food is heat. Share it fairly, a little and often. Rats carry many diseases, so keep food sealed or hung up and don't touch rats with bare hands (CDC).
9. Official contact over rumours
In a crisis, frightening rumours and false broadcasts spread. Don't take a dangerous road because of something unconfirmed; check official instructions directly.
10. The wounded — including the wounded 'enemy'
Stop bleeding by pressing a clean cloth on the wound hard and for a long time. Even in war, a wounded or surrendering enemy soldier must be protected, treated humanely and given care — a basic rule of international humanitarian law under the Geneva Conventions and the ICRC.
In Stalingrad, 1942
The Battle of Stalingrad (usually dated 23 August 1942 – 2 February 1943) was one of the deadliest battles in history. Many civilians, especially women and children, remained in the city, and estimates of civilian deaths vary widely, from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands. At 07:20 (Moscow time) on 19 November 1942 the Soviet counter-offensive (Operation Uranus) began north of the city, and around 23 November the encirclement closed at Kalach. The night crossings of the Volga were a lifeline, made harder in late autumn by drifting ice.
Sources
- US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): hypothermia and frostbite · preventing trench foot (immersion foot) · rodent-borne diseases
- Korea Ministry of the Interior and Safety, National Disaster Safety Portal: explosion guidance
- City of Minneapolis Emergency Management: winter storms and extreme cold
- US Army sniper manual FM 23-10
- International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): the Geneva Conventions
FAQ
Can I eat snow?
Eating it raw lowers your body temperature. Melt it — and boil it if you can — before drinking.
Should I rub frostbite?
No. Rubbing it or scrubbing it with snow damages the tissue further. Thaw it slowly with body heat or warm water, and don't hold it to a fire.
How do I recognise hypothermia?
Shivering, confusion, fumbling hands, slurred speech and drowsiness are the signs. If shivering stops and the person gets sleepy, it's more dangerous. Somewhere warm, remove wet clothes and warm the centre of the body first.
What causes trench foot?
Feet that stay wet for a long time. Dry your feet, change into dry socks and raise your feet while sleeping.
What should I do when I hear an explosion?
Drop flat on the floor at once, cover your ears and eyes and keep your mouth slightly open. Don't go to the window to look.
Can I light a fire indoors?
Only where there is ventilation, watching out for carbon monoxide. Never burn charcoal or run a stove in a sealed room.
When was the Battle of Stalingrad?
It's usually dated from 23 August 1942 to 2 February 1943. The Soviet counter-offensive began on 19 November 1942.
Does this game help me prepare for real situations?
The game is a fictional scenario simplified from official guidance. In a real situation, follow your local emergency services and official instructions.