First Targets in any Crisis (How to Protect Them)

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Imagine this: The power’s out. Shelves are empty. The internet is down. And suddenly, the things you quietly set aside—food, fuel, gear, cash—start looking like solutions to everyone else’s problems. Those solutions? They’re exactly what others will notice—and try to grab first. They’re the first target in any crisis.

In a true crisis, what you have can make you a target—by anyone. Legal authority already exists to seize what you have or redirect what you need. And if the government doesn’t come for it, desperate people will. Every online order, every debit card swipe—those records don’t disappear.

They build a profile. And in a scarcity-driven crisis, that profile turns into a map to your door. There are laws on the books that allow the government to seize your resources. And if they don’t, someone else might try because these items are the ones that always go first.

This article will break down exactly what kinds of supplies become high-risk in a disaster, how to protect them, and what you can do now to stay under the radar when things fall apart.

TL;DR: Certain supplies become instant targets in a crisis—by both the government and desperate individuals. This guide breaks down which items are most vulnerable, why they matter, and how to secure them without drawing attention. If you’re prepared, you also need to be protected.

Government Emergency Powers and What They Mean for You

Multiple federal and state laws give government agencies broad authority over private property during declared emergencies. The Defense Production Act of 1950 (DPA) is the most sweeping, allowing federal officials to prioritize contracts, control distribution of goods such as food, fuel, and medicine, seize manufacturing facilities and inventories, and allocate or restrict resources for civilian use nationwide.

Beyond the DPA, the Stafford Act (1988) enables the president to declare national emergencies, mobilize FEMA and military resources, control transportation, and redirect supply chains. Presidents have also signed Executive Orders—including EO 13603, EO 10998, and EO 11005—that reaffirm or extend these powers to food, water, transportation, energy, health resources, and even civilian labor without new congressional approval.

At the state level, Emergency Management Acts authorize governors to seize private property, require citizens to provide services or supplies, enforce evacuations, and temporarily restrict the sale of firearms or ammunition. Under the Public Health Service Act (1944), federal agencies may order quarantines, seize or redirect medical equipment, and use federal law enforcement to enforce health-based restrictions.

1. Weapons and Ammunition

Weapons are high on the list for both government and criminal interests. Whether for control, self-defense, hunting, or power projection, guns and ammo hold immediate value in a destabilized environment. Government agencies, as seen after Hurricane Katrina, have already shown a willingness to confiscate legally owned firearms during emergencies.

How to protect them:

• Off-site storage: While not ideal for everyone, some people opt for secure lockers or alternative storage facilities.
• Survival caches: Burying firearms on your own land (legally, by state) can be an option. Just ensure they’re protected from moisture and damage.
• Keep a low profile: Avoid oversharing and resist the temptation to brag on social media. Be discreet about what you purchase and how you transport or store it.

2. Food and Water

Once grocery stores are empty and distribution chains are disrupted, food and clean water become immediate priorities for survival. Unfortunately, this also makes them prime targets—from local authorities exercising emergency powers to neighbors who didn’t see the need to prepare.

How to protect them:

• Diversify storage: Keep smaller stashes in unexpected locations. Don’t put everything in one place.
• Decoy goods: Consider placing near-expired food or less valuable items in areas where they’d be found first.
• Stay quiet: Don’t cook outside, and don’t advertise what you have. One giveaway can undo your years of effort.

3. Medical Supplies and Hygiene Items

Hospitals may get overwhelmed fast. The production and distribution of medical supplies may be rerouted under the DPA. Simple items—such as bandages, antibiotics, and painkillers—become critical and confiscated in a matter of days.

How to protect and prepare:

• Stock smart: Focus on long-lasting, multi-use items. Learn shelf-life workarounds.
• Practice medicine: Know how to use what you store. Training is just as critical as supplies.
• Prevent problems: Good hygiene minimizes the need for treatment.

4. Power and Fuel

Gas, diesel, propane, and even solar power will become high-demand commodities. When the grid goes down, generators and stored fuel are immediate targets for thieves—and potentially commandeered by officials under emergency powers.

How to reduce risk:

• Fuel storage: Keep it hidden and decentralized, if possible. Avoid leaving cans in obvious places, such as the garage.
• Conceal your power: Rooftop solar panels can make you a target. Consider folding panels, fence-line setups, or panels stored out of sight until needed.
• Know your gear: Learn about volts, amps, watts, and basic repairs so you can stay off the grid and off the radar.

5. Communications Equipment

In any real disruption, expect communications to be cut or censored. Internet shutdowns, limited cell service, and ham radio monitoring are all in the playbook. If you have gear that still works, others may want it. When possible, avoid being located by not transmitting unless an emergency happens and you must.

Smart steps:

• Keep it discreet: Antennas, radios, and charging stations should be out of sight.
• Redundancy: Multiple options (radio, mesh network, etc.) give you more resilience.
• Practice: Know how to use what you have before you need it—and remember that operational security still applies when using any comms.

6. Cash and Precious Metals

While most people think of food and guns in a crisis, financial resources—especially cash and precious metals—are often overlooked as early seizure targets. In times of economic instability or martial law, the government may freeze bank accounts, restrict ATM withdrawals, or even seize hard assets.

Historical precedent: In 1933, under Executive Order 6102, the U.S. government confiscated privately held gold to stabilize the financial system. Citizens were legally required to turn in their gold coins, bullion, and certificates. Violators faced fines and prison time.

In modern scenarios, controls could include asset freezes, digital currency tracking, or even conversion of bank balances into government IOUs. Precious metals held in third-party vaults or safety deposit boxes may not be accessible or secure.

How to protect them:

• Keep small denominations of cash hidden in multiple secure places.
• Store physical gold and silver in forms suitable for barter (e.g., fractional coins, rounds).
• Don’t advertise your holdings.
• Avoid third-party custodians who could be forced to surrender your property.

7. Everything Else They Might Want

Once the obvious resources are picked over, the second wave begins: anything that fills a need becomes a target. This includes things you might not think of as high-value—until they’re gone.

Examples of at-risk categories:

• Clothing and footwear: Cold-weather gear, boots, gloves, rain gear. New or high-quality items are especially at risk.
• Tools and repair equipment: Hammers, screwdrivers, nails, duct tape, paracord, sewing kits. Items needed to build, fix, or fortify.
• Baby and elder care supplies: diapers, wipes, formula, feminine hygiene products, adult diapers, and over-the-counter medications.

Bottom line: In a true crisis, value is based on utility. If someone else needs it—and sees that you have it—they may try to take it from you. Apply the same discretion and security mindset to these “less obvious” supplies as you would to food and ammunition.

5 Tips How to Stay Invisible and Adaptive

Beyond stockpiles and gear, your behavior, habits, and mindset determine whether you attract trouble—or avoid it entirely.

1. Stay off the radar:

• Don’t be the only house with lights when the power’s out. Use blackout curtains, cover windows, or go dark.
• Keep cooking smells inside. Avoid using grills or open flames outdoors.
• Watch your trash. Packaging and waste reveal what you’re eating—and what you have.

2. Blend in, don’t broadcast:

• Wear loose or worn-looking clothes. Appear as if you’re struggling like everyone else.
• Avoid routines that signal abundance. Don’t take out full bags of garbage, fuel a car in view, or visibly carry gear.

3. Control your conversations:

• Don’t brag about your preps. Don’t tell people how “ready” you are.
• Assume anything you say might be repeated when fear sets in.

4. Audit your supplies:

• What do you have that fits the risk categories in this article?
• What’s missing?

5. Make a concealment plan:

• Store duplicate items off-site.
• Use decoys.
• Protect critical supplies from view.

The more invisible and adaptive you are, the less likely you are to become someone else’s target. That’s how you survive—and thrive—when things fall apart.

The Bottom Line

Emergencies don’t just test your stockpile—they test your discretion, your adaptability, and your ability to stay one step ahead of other people’s desperation. The government has legal tools to take what it wants. Neighbors and criminals will come for whatever fills their needs. And once scarcity kicks in, anything useful becomes fair game.

That’s why preparedness isn’t just about having supplies—it’s about protecting them without drawing attention, and protecting yourself without relying on anyone else to do it for you.

Start now. Get quiet. Get smart. And go unnoticed.

Additional Resources

Frequently Asked Questions About Contagion (2011)