What are the Risks?

Evaluating Possible Threats for the Prepper

When you are working on a preparedness plan one of the first things you need to do is determine what you need to be prepared for. Now there are all kinds of things one has to consider from Natural Disasters to Man-made to Spiritual and Prophetic. There is help on the internet for natural disasters and to some extent man-made too.

If part of your preparedness plan is to have a bug-out retreat then you need to consider population, the electrical GRID, gun laws, homesteading laws, home schooling laws and taxes for income, sales or gross receipts and property/school. Internet sites can be of assistance for that too. For your over-all starting point on this aspect check out JWR’s SurvivalBlog on retreats @ http://www.survivalblog.com/retreatareas.html

“Preparedness is not just about stockpiling, it's about having an actual plan.”
Mike Ryan

Internet Sites to Help With Risk Assessment

Survival Blog on Retreats http://www.survivalblog.com/retreatareas.html

Africanized Killer Bee Spread http://www.ars.usda.gov/Research/docs.htm?docid=11059&page=6


Cancer Risk http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/county-cancer-map.htm

Catastrophic Risk - earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes and hailstorms http://www.rms.com/Publications/Cat_Risk_Maps.asp

City Crime 2009 Rank http://www.scribd.com/doc/29444064/City-Crime-2009-Rank-Rev-Os-CqpressCOM

Dark Sky Project - Human Light Influence http://www.darksky.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=60100
http://www.darksky.org/mc/page.do?sitePageId=55060&orgId=idsa
U.S. w/borders http://data.nextrionet.com/site/idsa/im-usa_borders.jpg
U.S. at night http://data.nextrionet.com/site/idsa/im-usa_1996-97.gif

Drought Risk http://www.drought.unl.edu/risk/us/usimpacts.htm

Earthquake Risk http://www.ehso.com/ehshome/diastersearthquakerisk.htm

Earthquakes USGS http://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/

FEMA How to Calculate and Plan for a Natural Disaster (community level) IE: This is what the U.S. Government is currently doing to protect us. http://www.fema.gov/plan/ffmm.shtm

Ground Water Contamination Risk Map http://www.mapwatch.com/gallery/ground-water-contamination-risk-map.shtml

Ground Water Nutrients/Nitrate Contamination http://water.usgs.gov/nawqa/nutrients/pubs/wcp_v39_no12/

Hazard Maps by National Geographic Maps: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/bigphotos/30805993.html
Article: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/02/080212-hazard-maps.html

Human Footprint (more than CO2, this is landfills, population and other human health/environmental risks) http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/3000/3254/human_footprint_lrg.gif

Hurricane Gulf Coast Risks http://www.earth.columbia.edu/news/2005/story09-24-05.html
Download PDF http://www.earth.columbia.edu/news/2005/images/Gulf_Coast.pdf

Insect and Disease Risk http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/images/RiskMap_agents_hillshade_md.jpg

Invasive Pest Risk Maps - Sirex Woodwasp http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/technology/invasives_sirexnoctilio_riskmaps.shtml

Lyme Disease http://www.aldf.com/usmap.shtml

Malaria Maps http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/map/ & http://cdc-malaria.ncsa.uiuc.edu/ Malaria Interactive Map

Misc U.S. Gun Law info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gun_laws_in_the_United_States_%28by_state%29 & http://www.nraila.org/gunlaws/

Most Dangerous States, Cities, Neighborhoods in the U.S. April 2010 http://www.scribd.com/doc/29443793/Most-Dangerous-States-Cities-Neighborhoods-April-2010-Recap

NASA Earth Observatory (from CO2, Fires, earthquakes to ozone to Volcanoes) http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/GlobalMaps/

Natural Disaster Risk Profiles http://www.inscenter.com/info-center/disaster-planning/risk-profile

Natural Hazard Mortality Map http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/12/081216201408.htm

Natural Hazards http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/

NDGC/NOAA Night Light Posters http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/dmsp/night_light_posters.html & http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/dmsp/presentations.html

Open Space at Risk National Geographic http://maps.nationalgeographic.com/maps/print-collection/america-open-spaces-risk.html

Radon Risk Map http://www.indoor-air-health-advisor.com/radon-map.html

Security & Political Risks http://www.riskmap-controlrisks.com/

State by State Crime Rankings by Population 2010 http://www.scribd.com/doc/29444065/Crime-State-Rankings-2010-Population-Total-Os-CqpressCOM

State by State Crime Rankings 2010 http://www.scribd.com/doc/29444066/Crime-State-Rankings-2010-Os-CqpressCOM

State by State Gun Laws 2010 http://www.handgunlaw.us/

State by State Home Schooling Laws 2010 http://www.hslda.org/laws/default.asp & http://www.hslda.org/laws/Summary_of_Laws.pdf

State By State Rankings for Retreats for Survival a spreadsheet from SurvivalBlog http://www.scribd.com/doc/29444438/Retreats-for-Survival-States-State-Data-Excel-Retreats-SurvuvalBlogCOM-Final

State Tax burden –Best & Worst 5 States 2008 http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2010/04/13/5-most-tax-friendly-states-to-live-in/

Sudden Oak Death http://gis.tnc.org/data/MapbookWebsite/map_page.php?map_id=137
Download a PDF of this map @ http://gis.tnc.org/data/MapbookWebsite/getimage.php?id=114

Tax Rates By State- Sales http://www.taxadmin.org/FTA/rate/sales.html

Tax Rates State- Income http://www.taxadmin.org/FTA/rate/ind_inc.html

Toxin Hazard Maps http://www.mapcruzin.com/global_toxmaps.htm

U.S. Population Density http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=7052
Download image: http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/7000/7052/us_population_2005_lrg.jpg

U.S. Urban Population Density http://www.usgcrp.gov/usgcrp/images/ocp2003/ocpfy2003-fig8-1.htm

Water Resources of the United States http://water.usgs.gov/ & Contaminants http://water.usgs.gov/owq/topics.html#cont

West Nile Virus http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/view_rec.php?id=12658

Wheat Head Blight Risk http://www.wheatscab.psu.edu/riskTool_2009.html

Worst Gun Laws in the Worst Stat http://www.christiangunowner.com/worst_gun_laws.html

NOAA Weather Related Hazard Threats (daily prediction maps) http://www.cpc.noaa.gov/products/predictions/threats/threats.php

Visualizing the US Electric Grid http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=110997398

My long time favorite is The Disaster Center http://www.disastercenter.com/ it not only has all kinds of maps, alerts, predictions, etc., it has Space Weather too and links to a multitude of other systems as well. The following links are all off this site.

NOAA -- HPC http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/

Surface Analysis Loop (link doesn’t always work) http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/html/sfcloop/radsfcus_exp_test.html

Graphical Forecasts http://www.weather.gov/forecasts/graphical/sectors/

National Forecast http://www.weather.gov/outlook_tab.php

National Radar http://radar.weather.gov/Conus/

National Satellite http://www.weather.gov/sat_tab.php?image=ir

Drought Monitor http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html

Drought Seasonal Predictions http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/expert_assessment/seasonal_drought.html

Leading Causes of Death http://disastercenter.com/cdc/States%2010%20Leading%20Causes%20of%20Death.html

Recent Earthquakes http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsus/

Flood Watch Conditions http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/?m=flood&w=map&r=us

Significant River Flood Outlook http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/nationalfloodoutlook/index.html

NWS - Rivers http://water.weather.gov/ahps/

Satellite Environment Plot http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/today.html#satenv

Real Time Water Data http://waterwatch.usgs.gov/

Fire Weather Forecast http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/fire_wx/

Experimental Day 3-8 Fire http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/exper/fire_wx/

National Hurricane Center http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/

Warnings - Advisories http://www.nws.noaa.gov/

Current Warnings http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/wwa/

Current Convective Watch http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/watch/

Day 1 Convection Outlook http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html

Day 2 Convection Outlook http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day1otlk.html

Day Two Rainfall Forecast http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/fill_98qwbg.gif

Day 3 Convection Outlook http://www.spc.noaa.gov/products/outlook/day3otlk.html

Day Three Rainfall Forecast http://www.hpc.ncep.noaa.gov/qpf/fill_99qwbg.gif

Air Quality Forecast http://airnow.gov/

Tsunami Warning Centers: PTWC http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/ -- AWCTWC http://wcatwc.arh.noaa.gov/

Pandemic Flu.Gov http://www.pandemicflu.gov/

Current UV Index http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/uvindex.html

Space Weather http://www.spaceweather.com/

NWS Active/Special Warnings http://www.weather.gov/view/largemap.php

Earth Observatory: Data & Images Link doesn’t always work http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Observatory

Aerosol Index ftp://toms.gsfc.nasa.gov/pub/omi/images/aerosol/FULLDAY_AERO.PNG

Ozone Index http://toms.gsfc.nasa.gov/ozone/ozone_v8.html

Current Auroral Oval http://spaceweather.com/

US Crime pages have been updated with the Year 2005 data, which was released in September 2006 US States Crime 2004 -2005 Crimes per 100,000 and Ranking http://www.disastercenter.com/crime/US_States_Rate_Ranking.html

NWS Offices and Centers http://www.weather.gov/organization.php

“To be aware is to be prepared” Unknown

Here are some links concerning nuclear fuel and weapons and their related hazards. Covering the following specifics:

• Trans-Pacific Fallout
• National Cancer Institute Study Estimating Thyroid Doses of I-131 Received by Americans From Nevada Atmospheric Nuclear Bomb Tests. The NCI's 'worst case' estimate is that fallout from nuclear weapons testing likely generated from 10,000 to 75,000 cases of thyroid cancer!
• 1990 FEMA Report on Possible fallout regions after nuclear attack
• Nuclear targets based on known defense, value of target, population, and military sites
• Chernobyl Fallout Pattern http://users.owt.com/smsrpm/Chernobyl/glbrad.html
• Jet Stream Fallout & Jet Stream Fallout Detailed
• U.S. Fallout Map
• Earthquake Faults and Nuclear Reactors
• Spent Fuel
• Power Reactors
• Uranium Mines

Maps and Detail Reports can be found at:

• http://www.ki4u.com/transpacific.htm
• http://users.owt.com/smsrpm/Chernobyl/glbrad.html
• http://ocw.nd.edu/physics/nuclear-warfare/lecture-17
• http://www.endtimesreport.com/jet.html
• http://virga.sfsu.edu/gif/jetstream_init_00.gif
• http://www.unitedstatesaction.com/nuclear_targets_addtl_shelter_info.htm
• http://www.ki4u.com/nuclearsurvival/list.htm
• http://www.angelfire.com/tx/atomicveteran/
• http://www.environmentalnightmares.com/2007/08/maps-and-more-maps-lost-in-nuclear-maze.html
• http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/map-power-reactors.html
• http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/materials/uranium/
• http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/states/us.htm
• http://www.nrc.gov/waste/spent-fuel-storage/locations.html
• http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/map-power-reactors.html
• http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/list-power-reactor-units.html
• http://www.nrc.gov/info-finder/materials/uranium/
• http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/states/us.htm
• http://www.state.nv.us/nucwaste/states/states.htm

“I am prepared for the worst but hope for the best”
Benjamin Disraeli

To see some of examples of these maps go to: http://www.scribd.com/What-Are-the-Risks/d/30314307 and http://www.scribd.com/doc/30349838/What-Are-the-Risks-Part-II

Keep On Prepping !

From a 50 Something, soon to be rural homesteading, Prepper ;-}