Moving to a new place can be intimidating. Moving to a new place that comes complete with the risk of flooding, mudslides, avalanches or volcanic eruptions, as well as Air Force flight lines and Army training areas can be overwhelming. However, knowing where these spots are, what to expect and how little chance there is that these events will actually occur or intrude on your life, can set a mind at ease.

The Washington state Hazard Identification and Vulnerability Assessment (HIVA) identifies potential threats to the people, economy, environment and property throughout the entire state with regard to natural and technological disasters. HIVA, which is put out by the Emergency Management Division of the state and available to the public, offers in-depth information and contains guidance on how to be prepared for these events.

With the sheer amount of water that surrounds the area, it is understandable that both Pierce and Thurston Counties are considered vulnerable to floods. Each have more than two percent of their land area in floodplains, or flat areas close to rivers and waterways, with 4.2 percent for Pierce and 6.8 percent for Thurston.

Statistics show that certain areas in Thurston are prone to flooding every three years, while flooding in Pierce is typically every four years. If major flooding does happen and causes levees to break, the closure of Interstate 5, especially in the vicinity of the Puyallup River, is highly likely. Recently, in order to take a proactive approach to the risk of flooding and prepare residents, Pierce County was designated a Flood Control Zone District, one of only a handful in the state.

Aside from water, the area is also overrun with mountains, which can be responsible for both avalanches and mudslides. Like flooding, one of the largest threats that any landslide poses in the closure of roads and I-5. Be warned, the Chinook Pass on SR 410 and the Cayuse Pass on State Route 123 in Pierce County are closed every winter and stand a chance of residual avalanche activity in the spring.

To monitor those areas and others, visit www.nwac.us/mtnweather.htm to see hourly weather updates from a network of remote weather stations.

Volcanic activity is definitely something that may not even be a thought for people in most of the country, but for Washington residents it is hard to forget, since they are majestically front and center. Five major ones are spread across the state, including Mount Baker, Glacier Peak, Mount Rainier, Mount St. Helens and Mount Adams. Mount Rainier is the only one that lies within the South Sound and poses a threat - of ash fall and a lahar - to the immediate area. Though the volcanoes do not erupt at regular intervals, there are warning signs, such as seismic waves, prior to an eruption that are constantly monitored. To learn more about what to do before and after an eruption, read the EMD's fact sheet, which can be found at www.emd.wa.gov/hazards/documents/ERG-26Volcanoes.pdf.

Though noise may seem insignificant when compared to the potential disasters listed above, it is 20 times more likely to be an issue during your time in the area surrounding Joint Base Lewis-McChord. People living in cities such as Lakewood, Parkland and Puyallup may be subject to low fly-overs departing from McChord Field, especially during the bi-annual, three-day long air expo.

Those who live in DuPont or Steilacoom are located near the numerous closed-in training areas and 115 live fire ranges on JBLM Main and JBLM North. Training typically includes artillery rounds (which sound like thunder) and is conducted throughout a 24-hour period; meaning after dark is fair game. Though units that are training will often send out notices before training begins, it is always good to keep it in the back of your mind when you hear a bang.

Regardless of where choosing to live, knowing these risks exist is the best way to be ready. In addition to preparation at the state level, each county in Washington also has a branch of Emergency Management that can provide residents with even more localized warnings and assistance.

For Thurston, see www.co.thurston.wa.us/em and for Pierce, see www.co.pierce.wa.us/pc/Abtus/ourorg/dem/abtusdem.htm.