If there were an emergency at Indian Point, county officials may recommend that residents take several actions to protect themselves, including sheltering in place, evacuation and taking Potassium Iodide (KI).

How far do you live from Indian Point?
Sirens would sound in the 10-mile radius of Indian Point, and the Emergency Alert and Public Notification system would be used to communicate these instructions from government officials. Find out in which emergency area you live.

Planning Guide
Westchester County’s Emergency Planning Guide is available in English and Spanish. Download a copy to review with your family and keep on hand. A map, contained within the planning guide, shows areas in the Indian Point planning zone, their General Population Reception Centers, School Reception Centers, and bus routes.

If you experience any difficulty accessing the "Are You Ready? Emergency Planning Guide for Indian Point" and require additional assistance, or would like to request a print version, call the United Way 211 Call Center by calling 211.

• Are you ready? Westchester County Indian Point Emergency Guide

• ¿Está listo? Condado de Westchester Guía de Emergencia de Indian Point

• Are you ready? Text only version in English

Preparedness and response

In addition, the county's Radiological Emergency Plan for the Indian Point Energy Center explains official preparedness and response procedures in the event of a radioactive release incident.

Shelter in place
If sheltering in place is recommended, you should stay in a house or building with windows and doors closed and outside air vents shut. This can be an effective emergency response to a radiation release. Because of wind and other weather conditions, for example, a brief release of radiation could pass through the area very quickly. In that situation, sheltering would provide the best protection.

Instructions to evacuate
The order to evacuate specific areas would be given by public safety officials through broadcasts on radio or television. People who are told to evacuate could go to the home of a relative or friend outside of the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ). Or, they could go to their designated General Population Reception Centers. Use the link to the planning guides above to determine which center is designated for your area.

For those requiring transportation, emergency buses would be available to take families and individuals to their assigned reception center.

What is the EPZ?
The area within a 10-mile radius of the Indian Point power plant is called the Emergency Planning Zone (EPZ). The federal government set the 10-mile radius as the area requiring emergency plans for protecting health and safety in radiological emergencies. Find out if you are in the EPZ.

The entire EPZ would probably not be evacuated all at once. Decisions on whether to take protective actions are based on plant conditions, wind directions, weather and many other factors.

An unnecessary evacuation would tie up traffic for people who are in areas ordered to evacuate. It is important that you do not evacuate unless your specific area is told to do so.

Sirens
Special sirens alert the public to an emergency at Indian Point. The sirens are loud, high-pitched alarms which would be sounded for three to five minutes without interruption.

Further questions
We encourage you to contact Westchester County's Office of Emergency Management, (914) 864-5450, if you have any further questions concerning emergency planning for Indian Point.