🧭 Know Your Local Risks: The First Step to Preparedness
💡 Why Risk Awareness Could Save Your Life
Before you can prepare—you need to understand what you’re preparing for. Every location has unique risks based on geography, climate, population density, and infrastructure.
You may not live near an active volcano—but could your home sit on unstable soil prone to earthquakes? Maybe you’re far from the coast, but wildfires, tornadoes, or power outages are a regular threat.
Understanding your risks helps you build the right emergency plan, pack the right gear, and protect the people who matter most.
🌍 Start Here: Find Your Region’s Hazards
✅ United States Residents:
- FEMA’s National Risk Index
→ Type in your ZIP code to view your region’s risk rating for 18 natural hazards including wildfires, floods, earthquakes, and more. - NOAA Hazards Viewer
→ Access real-time and historical hurricane, tsunami, and severe storm data. - U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Maps
→ See fault zones, seismic risk, and aftershock history.
✅ Canadian Residents:
- GetPrepared.ca Regional Hazards Map
→ Learn the most likely emergencies in each province and territory. - Natural Resources Canada Earthquake Zones
→ Identify regional seismic activity across BC, Quebec, and more. - Environment Canada Weather Alerts
→ Track alerts for floods, blizzards, windstorms, and more.
🧠 How to Evaluate Risk Like a Pro
1. Know Your Geography
- Are you near a coast? → Risk of hurricanes, storm surge, tsunamis
- On a hill or valley slope? → Potential for landslides, flooding
- Dry terrain or forested land? → Wildfire-prone
- River basin or plain? → High flood potential
2. Check Your Infrastructure
- Older buildings? → More vulnerable to earthquake collapse
- Rural living? → Longer rescue times, limited power backup
- Mobile homes or trailers? → Higher risk during tornadoes and windstorms
3. Research Your Climate Trends
- Frequent summer droughts? Prepare for wildfires & water restrictions
- Harsh winters? Risk of blizzards, power outages, freezing injuries
- Thunderstorm-prone area? Tornado risk may be higher than you think
🧾 Make a Local Risk Profile
We recommend writing down your personal “hazard map”:
- ✏️ Primary Risks (most likely):
Ex: Blizzards, wildfires, power outages - ✏️ Secondary Risks (less frequent but possible):
Ex: Earthquakes, severe wind, heatwaves - ✏️ Geographic Flags (location-specific):
Ex: Below sea level, hillside, near wildfire zone
Once you know what you’re facing, you can start customizing your emergency kits, family plans, and evacuation routes accordingly.
✅ Key Government Sources for Ongoing Alerts
TopicU.S. SourceCanadian SourceGeneral HazardsFEMA Risk IndexGetPrepared MapEarthquakesUSGSEarthquakes CanadaWildfiresFire Weather AlertsFireSmartTsunamisNOAAEnvironment CanadaSevere WeatherNational Weather ServiceWeather Alerts Canada
🧠 Final Thought
“Preparedness doesn’t start with gear. It starts with understanding what you’re up against.”
The more you know about the risks around you, the more confident and effective you’ll be when disaster strikes.
📍 Start your risk assessment today using the links above.