Emergency preparedness in Brazil: official guidance at a glance

Short answer. Brazil sets no national household stockpile with quantities; São Paulo state asks for three days of water and non-perishable food ³, and Paraná advises 2 litres of water per person per day ². Since 1 October 2025, Defesa Civil Alerta sends warnings to phones nationwide ¹. Potassium iodide is supplied through SUS in a nuclear emergency ⁵. In an emergency, call 199 for Civil Defence ⁶.

Information checked on 20 October 2026. Lead national body: the National Secretariat of Protection and Civil Defence (Sedec), within the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development (MIDR), working with state and municipal civil defence agencies. The national nuclear safety authority (ANSN) decides when iodine should be taken ⁵.

What does Brazil ask households to prepare?

There is no federal supply list with quantities. The national flood leaflet only says to prepare a kit with drinking water, clothes and medicines in case you have to leave home quickly ⁸. State agencies go further: São Paulo asks families to store drinking water and non-perishable food for three days ³, and Paraná publishes a personal emergency kit list that includes 2 litres of water per person per day ².

• Emergency supplies: how long and how much
• The official kit list, item by item

How will you be warned?

Defesa Civil Alerta, a cell broadcast system, reaches compatible 4G and 5G phones with no registration, and has covered the whole country since 1 October 2025 ¹. You can also receive free SMS alerts by texting your postal code (CEP) to 40199 ²³. Outdoor sirens are local, for example around the Angra nuclear plant ⁹.

• Alerts in Brazil

Where do you shelter?

Brazil's official sources describe no public blast or fallout shelter network. Municipalities must organise temporary shelters for people displaced by disasters ⁴.

• Public shelters in Brazil

Who gets potassium iodide?

Potassium iodide (KI) tablets and syrup are provided through the public health system (SUS) under a Ministry of Health protocol approved on 1 September 2026 ⁵. Planning zones of 3, 5, 10 and 15 km surround the Angra plant ⁹. Take KI only when the authorities say so ⁵.

• Potassium iodide in Brazil

Can you build a private shelter?

Brazil publishes no law, permit or technical standard specific to private shelters. Ordinary municipal building rules apply; consult a structural engineer and your municipality first.

• Building a shelter in Brazil: what the rules say

Who do you call?

199 for Civil Defence, 193 for the fire brigade, 190 for the military police ⁶, and 192 for SAMU ambulances ⁷.

• Emergency contacts in Brazil

Frequently asked questions

Which agency is responsible for civil protection in Brazil?

The National Secretariat of Protection and Civil Defence (Sedec), part of the Ministry of Integration and Regional Development, with state and municipal civil defence agencies ¹.

Is there a national preparedness booklet in Brazil?

No national household booklet was found. Defesa Civil Nacional publishes short "Saiba como agir" leaflets by hazard, such as floods ⁸. States run their own campaigns, like São Paulo's family emergency plan ³ and Paraná's personal emergency kit page ².

Where should I start?

Build a kit for three days, as São Paulo advises ³, sign up for SMS alerts ², and write a family plan: see our guides on the 72-hour kit and how to make a family emergency plan.

Sources

1. Ministério da Integração e do Desenvolvimento Regional (MIDR) – Defesa Civil Nacional — Defesa Civil Alerta — https://www.gov.br/mdr/pt-br/assuntos/protecao-e-defesa-civil/defesa-civil-alerta (accessed 2026-10-20)
2. Coordenadoria Estadual da Defesa Civil do Paraná — Kit de Emergência pessoal — https://www.defesacivil.pr.gov.br/Pagina/Kit-de-Emergencia-pessoal (accessed 2026-10-20)
3. Defesa Civil do Estado de São Paulo — Plano familiar de emergência - SP Sempre Alerta — https://www.spsemprealerta.sp.gov.br/orientacoes/plano-familiar-de-emergencia/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
4. Presidência da República (Planalto) — Lei nº 12.608, de 10 de abril de 2012 (Política Nacional de Proteção e Defesa Civil) — https://www.planalto.gov.br/ccivil_03/_ato2011-2014/2012/lei/l12608.htm (accessed 2026-10-20)
5. Ministério da Saúde — Portaria SCTIE/MS nº 55, de 1º de setembro de 2026 – Protocolo de Uso do Iodeto de Potássio na Emergência Nuclear — https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/assuntos/pcdt/i/protocolo-uso-ki-emergencia-nuclear.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
6. Defesa Civil do Estado de São Paulo — SP Sempre Alerta — https://www.spsemprealerta.sp.gov.br/ (accessed 2026-10-20)
7. Ministério da Saúde — SAMU 192 – Serviço de Atendimento Móvel de Urgência — https://www.gov.br/saude/pt-br/composicao/saes/samu-192 (accessed 2026-10-20)
8. Ministério do Desenvolvimento Regional (MDR) – Secretaria Nacional de Proteção e Defesa Civil — Como agir? Inundações (Saiba como agir) — https://www.gov.br/mdr/pt-br/assuntos/protecao-e-defesa-civil/ComoagirInundaesMDR.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)
9. Gabinete de Segurança Institucional da Presidência da República (GSI) — Existe algum plano para fazer frente a alguma situação de emergência? — https://www.gov.br/gsi/pt-br/assuntos/apoio/acervo/imagens-acesso-a-informacao/plano-para-fazer-frente-a-alguma-situacao-de-emergencia.pdf (accessed 2026-10-20)