Prudent Places

This remarkable CD-ROM is a "must-have" tool for people wanting to find the wiser places to live in America during these increasingly uncertain times. There are over 550 color maps divided into five main categories as shown below. At least 70 of the maps are over 6 square feet each when printed out. They allow you to choose your own combination of priorities from the topics below.

Without doubt, the number one question Stan and Holly Deyo have been asked over the years is: Where is safe? In light of our drastically changing weather and now, terrorist concerns, this question is more prescient than ever. No one can guarantee 100% safety for any location, however, there are certainly more clever places to live than others.

Do you want to know where nuclear waste is stored and what route it travels when moved? Where are the toxic waste (Superfund) sites? What counties are in more flood-free zones? How clean is the air? What counties have the most lead-free homes and the least radon? Where can I find fresh water? Where are the nuclear reactors? Where will rising sea-levels flood county coastlines? Where can I be protected from skin cancer? Where are known terrorist cells? Which counties have the least acid rain, animal waste pollution and pesticide contamination? What is the likelihood of an earthquake? What is a county's seismic risk and is a major faultline close by? What counties experience the least natural disasters? The most? What counties are in Hail Alley? Tornado Alley? Where are the chemical weapons sites? What land is owned by the Feds and for what purpose? Where are the military bases? What counties get hit with the most hurricanes and how far inland do they go? What counties experience the least violent crime?

Living off grid? Prudent Places USA shows which counties are best for wind power, geothermal and solar energy, where are the best locations for fresh air, clean water and least drought. Want to purchase a farm? Where is farmland not owned by the government? Where are river and lake fish OK to eat? Need elbow room? Prudent Places USA shows county population density. It also maps out locations of main rivers and lakes for each county as well as major road and rail routes, and faulty bridges. What counties have the right amount of rain, sunshine and temperature for you?

We all need to make a living, so where are money and jobs going? What counties have the highest income levels? If finding a church of your denomination is important, Prudent Places USA shows which faith predominates. Is ethnic diversity a must? Then check the population distribution maps. If you've asked any of the above, Prudent Places USA has the answer to these questions and much, much more!

The magic bullet answer may be different for everyone. Solutions vary within the question of where is safe, depending on your personal circumstances. We've given you the tools to find the best answer - for you.

For asthmatics, concerns over clean air might rank higher than earthquake occurrences or nuclear waste sites. If you can't breathe, everything else is secondary. Likewise, someone fed up with flooding may be on the hunt for drier territory, maybe combined with a low crime rate and affordable housing. Prudent Places USA offers flexibility and options. You'll be able to see trends where Americans have moved most recently, though some relocations may not be the most clever.

The latest data have been garnered from many areas, primarily from scientific, government and statistical sources and presented in easy-to-understand maps. Wading through heaps of text is not necessary though additional background information is provided if you want to know why an issue is important.

Prudent Places USA covers numerous topics within these five main areas:

• CHAPTER 1: NATURAL DISASTERS Disasters, Billion Dollar Events, 1980 - 2003, Disasters 1964 - 2003, Droughts, Earthquakes, Flood, Hail, Hurricane, Landslides, Lightning, Sea-Level Rise, Seismic Vulnerabilities, Tornado, Tsunami, Volcano
  
  

• CHAPTER 2: MANMADE DISASTERS Nuclear and Chemical, Terror Targets
  
  

• CHAPTER 3: ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS Acid Rain, Air Pollutants, 6 Most Prevalent, Animal Waste, Arsenic, Fish and Wildlife, Advisories, HAPS - Hazardous Air Pollutants, Impaired Water Bodies, Lead Contamination Pesticide Runoff, Radon, Superfund Sites, Toxic Releases, UV radiation, Watershed Health
  
  

• CHAPTER 4: BASICS & THE WORLD AROUND US Aquifers, Counties, Dams and Reservoirs, Farmland, Non-Federal, Geothermal Springs, Land, Federal and Indian, Land, Vegetation, Cover, Precipitation, Rivers, Snow, Solar, Energy, Sunshine Days, Temperature, Transportation Routes, Watersheds, Wind Energy

• CHAPTER 5: PEOPLE and PLACES Cities Profiled, Crime, Ethnic Distribution, Income Distribution, Night Lights, Population Religion

You'll find maps on the right column in the Table of Contents as well as additional information on the left. Within these chapter headings, you'll have access to 53 main topics. Prudent Places USA contains 550 maps, numerous information tables and photographs of America, plus a myriad of pertinent data. Prudent Places USA is built to be visually enjoyable as well as informative and works on both Macs or PCs.

Prudent Places USA takes information to a county level - all 3,141 of them! For example, aquifers for the contiguous 48 states. It will give you an idea of map detail and resolution.

Maps are very large and must be presented in CD format, 368 MB. If this CD were expanded, it would be 3 gigabytes! But it has been compressed to fit on everyone's computer. It does little good to give a broad stroke picture when there are pockets of safer places in nearly every state. Maps can be printed on transparencies and overlaid for a defining view of areas that interest you.

Even if not relocating, you may learn things about the community you call home. Understanding the pros and cons will enable you to prepare for the unexpected.