Iran just swore revenge on every American who supported the strikes that killed their Supreme Leader.
Now a veteran prepper who saw this coming years ago is going public with the exact steps she took to protect her family.
What she recommends isn't a bunker or a basement full of MREs – it's something almost any family can do this weekend.
DHS Warning: Iran Threat to the US Homeland Is Active
DHS sent an emergency bulletin to law enforcement agencies across the country warning of a heightened threat environment following the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Two top Iranian religious leaders issued separate fatwas – formal religious decrees – calling on Muslims worldwide to take revenge against the United States.
According to the bulletin, Iran and its proxies will "almost certainly escalate retaliatory actions" as long as the war continues.
That's not cable news speculation.
That's the federal government telling local police departments to get ready.
The most immediate threat isn't a missile – it's the kind of attack that doesn't announce itself.
A gunman opened fire at an Austin, Texas bar days after the strikes began, killing three people and wounding fourteen.
The FBI is investigating it as a potential act of terrorism.
DHS officials specifically warned that Iran-aligned extremists could target locations "perceived to be Jewish, pro-Israel, or linked to the U.S. government or military."
Churches. Synagogues. Military recruiting offices. Crowded public spaces.
What a Veteran Prepper Packed in Her 72-Hour Emergency Kit
Rowan MacKenzie has been preparing for exactly this kind of moment for years.
She's not panicking.
She built her plan long before the headlines caught up to her.
MacKenzie – who keeps her location private for security reasons – previously maintained a full bunker stocked with $423,000 worth of supplies.
Rising costs forced her to scale back.
What she discovered in the process was that most of what a family actually needs fits in a bag you can grab on the way out the door.
She calls them "go bags" – and she built one for every member of her family.
"These bags have water, non-perishable food, a change of clothes and a phone charger," MacKenzie told What's The Jam. "I also have an escape plan for each family member, but that's super sensitive information, so it remains top secret."
Beyond the go bags, she recommends keeping at least 72 hours' worth of medications and other essentials stored separately – enough to sustain your family if you can't leave the house or reach a pharmacy.
"Plan for an air strike and stay hidden at all costs," she added.
Why Cash and Physical Documents Belong in Every Go Bag
MacKenzie's third recommendation is the one that surprises people.
Invest in physical gold or silver – and get your important documents out of the cloud.
"Important documents online will mean nothing if the internet goes down," she said. "So make sure you've got a folder containing all important paperwork to protect them and have them on hand if needed."
Birth certificates. Insurance cards. Prescriptions. Passports.
If the power grid takes a hit from a cyberattack – and federal officials say Iran-linked hackers are actively probing U.S. water utilities and hospital systems right now – your digital life disappears instantly.
Physical cash matters for the same reason.
Credit card networks go dark when the infrastructure does.
Small bills, stored somewhere accessible, keep your family mobile when the ATMs don't work.
This Is Not the Time to Wait
Iran has spent decades building a playbook for exactly this scenario.
Their cyber operation known as "Charming Kitten" has been running since at least 2014, accumulating targets and sharpening its tools against American institutions every year since.
Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike has already detected a surge in Iran-linked hacking activity since the strikes began on February 28.
The targets aren't military bases overseas.
They're hospitals, power stations, water plants, and financial systems here at home.
The federal government's own cybersecurity agency, CISA, is currently operating at reduced capacity due to a partial government shutdown – meaning the safety net is thinner than it's ever been.
A packed bag. A 72-hour supply of essentials. Physical cash and hard copies of your documents.
That's exactly what DHS is asking every American family to have right now.
The preppers weren't crazy.
They were just early.
Sources:
- "I'm a Doomsday Prepper – Do These 3 Things to Protect Your Family from a Possible Attack on the US," New York Post, March 14, 2026.
- "DHS Remains Unfunded as Iran Sleeper Cell Fears Spike Nationwide Amid Security Warnings," Fox News, March 2, 2026.
- "Feds Warn Against Lone Wolf Cyber Attacks Amid Iran Conflict," Government Technology, March 1, 2026.
- "Intelligence Firms Watch for Uptick in Iran Cyber Activity After US, Israel Strikes," Nextgov/FCW, March 3, 2026.
- "Iran-Linked Hackers Take Aim at US and Other Targets, Raising Risk of Cyberattacks," Claims Journal, March 18, 2026.
