(NaturalNews) If you are one of those people who believes that prepping is for doomsday prophets and survivalist wackos or you've simply not begun practicing preparedness because you think a disaster won't happen to you, you might want to readjust your attitude after reading the results of a recent study conducted by the real estate research company RealtyTrac.

The report, which was released on August 28, found that a whopping 43 percent of American homes are at "high risk or very high risk" of being struck by a natural disaster.

That's right - nearly half (roughly 35.8 million) of all American homes and condos are likely to be hit by at least one type of natural disaster. The figures are based on an examination of 2,318 counties throughout the nation that were subsequently assigned a natural disaster risk score between 0 and 300.

The scores were assessed according to the likelihood of being damaged or destroyed by wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, floods or earthquakes.

Natural disasters on the increase

Many people might be wondering if natural disaster incidents have increased in recent times. According to another study conducted by the New England Journal of Medicine, three times as many natural disasters occurred between 2000 and 2009 compared to the period between 1980 and 1989. Nearly four out of five of these disasters were "climate-related."

This study also found that the scale of disasters has grown due to increased "urbanization, deforestation, and environmental degradation" as well as "intensifying climate variables" including hotter temperatures, extreme amounts of precipitation and more violent storms.

The trend is on the increase and evidence suggests that as many as twice the amount of people have been displaced by disasters in recent years compared to the rate of displacement in the 1970s.

A sobering reality

Whether one attributes the increase to the results of human-induced climate change or to larger natural cycles matters little when your home is in ruins from a wildfire, flood or other disaster.

The bottom line is that it's happening more often. If the experts' predictions are correct, it will continue to happen more frequently in the future.

This means that if you're not already practicing preparedness by stockpiling food and survival supplies, making emergency plans and possibly taking steps to reinforce your home, you are bit like the proverbial ostrich burying its head in the sand.

Start prepping now

Even if you don't live in one of the high-risk areas, it's simply good common sense to at least begin preparing for a short-term or relatively "mild" disaster. This means making sure you have on hand enough emergency supplies to last for several days at the very least. Water, non-perishable food, flashlights, candles, first aid and self-defense equipment are among the main items that should be stockpiled.

To be on the safe side, you should consider stockpiling enough supplies to last for a month or more. The most essential commodity to have on hand when the SHTF is drinking water.

To many readers here, this is not new information, but you might be surprised by how many Americans have not done anything at all to prepare themselves for the unforeseeable.

The results of these studies should serve as a wake-up call for those who have not bothered to take the simple, inexpensive steps that could very well mean the difference between life and death.

It's also important to consider that these figures do not take into account other possible disaster scenarios, including other natural occurrences such as solar flares that could knock out the power grid or man-made calamities such as war or a breakdown of social order due to a complete financial collapse.

Unfortunately, all of these scenarios and many others are well within the realm of possibility.

The important question is: are YOU prepared?

Source:

MarketWatch.com