Prepare For The Most Likely Disasters In Your Neighborhood

Location Based Threats: Preparing for the Most Likely Disasters in Your Neighborhood

800 residents from the town of Doyline, located about 270 miles northwest of New Orleans, had to be quickly evacuated after officials found over six million pounds of improperly stored explosives on the grounds of Camp Minden.
I came across a story this morning that I though was a good example of why you need to prepare for threats within your own neighborhood.
Louisiana State Police say that 6 million pounds of explosives, including M6 artillery propellant, were found recklessly packed into buildings and left in open cardboard boxes on long rows of pallets outside the old Louisiana Army Ammunitions Plant. Officials are now removing the explosives, but residents are expected to be under a mandatory evacuation order for at least a couple of days.
This story highlights something that we’ve been saying for a while. Preparedness isn’t always about preparing for doomsday type events. It also means knowing what dangers are in your neighborhood, and having a plan to deal with those threats.

What are the immediate dangers near your location?

• Is there anything that stands out about your neighborhood? Are there obstacles or dangers that are specific to your geographical location that could leave you vulnerable?
• What are the most likely location based threats that you’ll face? (Terrorist threats, chemical and/or biological threats, threats to critical infrastructure, criminal activity, inadequate access to supply routes or escape routes during a disaster, etc…)
• Is there anything about your area that makes it a possible target?

Dealing with Location Based Threats

• You Must Have a Bugout Bag – Should a situation present itself where you have to immediately leave your location, you need to have a bag filled with emergency supplies that can see you through the evacuation period.
• You Need an Evacuation Plan – Having an emergency evacuation plan is a vital step in being prepared. In my opinion, it’s one of the most important elements in any survival plan. The last thing you want in any emergency situation, is to get caught up in the chaos of an evacuation.
• Make Sure You Have Cash  – You should always have an emergency supply of cash on hand at all times. If you need to quickly evacuate, having a some emergency cash will help you do everything from rent a hotel room, to stock up on extra supplies.

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