[Axe]

A lot of the information you would want for an area study is likely going to be listed in your city and/or county's Emergency Operations Plan (known by other names as well in some places), which is generally maintained by the Emergency Management Department.

If there is no Emergency Management Department, the Sheriff's office will likely be in charge of the plan.

Your state will have a plan as well.

A friendly call or visit to the emergency manager will often educate you a great deal with the counties plans and assumptions. In most cases, it also makes it very clear that you had better not plan on getting the kind of help from the government that the average person expects to get in a disaster, a concept proven with almost every disaster that has occurred in the US.

One thing to look for in the plan is assumptions the emergency plan makes in regards to household preparedness. Plans I have seen from different agencies have made assumptions of household self-sufficiency ranging anywhere from 2 days to 2 weeks.

If you are only set up to take care of your household for 72 hours and your local government, the backbone of emergency response, expects you to take care of all your needs for a week or more, you should know that up front so you can upgrade your planning and resources.

Remember that the Fog of War applies in disasters and government inefficiencies multiply. You will likely be on your own longer than the government's emergency plan expects you will be.