I am following a guide to disaster preparedness that I will eventually archive into an accessible plan for all of the Ojai Valley’s residents. Our first step as a community is to identify our potential disasters – risk assessment. I have started a list – use the comments to add to it, and I will compile it.
From the guide: “Be lenient, at first, when considering whether something is a likely risk. Be sure to include all of the places where you might find yourself when disaster strikes — home, work, school, church, shopping, and so forth. Don’t consider the list closed until you’ve visited each of these places and looked, with a critical eye, at the risks we all ignore on a daily basis.”

Domestic risks: house fire, floods, carbon monoxide, medical emergency
Industrial accident risk: refineries, chemical plants, rail lines transporting hazardous cargo – which of these exist down in East Ventura? Are there any local industrial risks?
Natural disasters: heat waves, forest fires, earthquakes, floods
Secondary disaster risk due to primary natural disaster: Matilija Dam, Casitas Dam, complete isolation, road collapse, mudslides
Civil disturbance: riots, terrorist attacks, acts of war, Avian Flu, West Nile virus