Early Warning: Wash. Post's National Security Blog

The president's December 17, 2003, National Preparedness directive (Homeland Security Presidential Directive 8) refers to "threatened or actual domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies" (in that order) and defines "all-hazards preparedness" as "preparedness for domestic terrorist attacks, major disasters, and other emergencies."
Not exactly an afterthought, those major disasters, but from the presidential directive, government experts prepared a set of "For Official Use Only" National Planning Scenarios -- making its public debut here for the first time -- "describing plausible terrorist attacks and natural disasters that would stretch the Nation's prevention and response capabilities." The fifteen scenarios are "meant to be representative of a broad range of potential terrorist attacks and natural disasters ... to help direct comprehensive preparedness planning efforts," according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). They are:
1. Nuclear Detonation: 10-Kiloton Improvised Nuclear Device
2. Biological Attack: Aerosol Anthrax
3. Biological Disease Outbreak: Pandemic Influenza
4. Biological Attack: Plague
5. Chemical Attack: Blister Agent
6. Chemical Attack: Toxic Industrial Chemical
7. Chemical Attack: Nerve Agent
8. Chemical Attack: Chlorine Tank Explosion
9. Natural Disaster: Major Earthquake
10. Natural Disaster: Major Hurricane
11. Radiological Attack: Radiological Dispersal Device
12. Explosives Attack: Bombing Using Improvised Explosive Devices
13. Biological Attack: Food Contamination
14. Biological Attack: Foreign Animal Disease (Foot and Mouth Disease)
15. Cyber Attack

The score:
Hurricanes and Natural Disasters: 2
Terrorism and WMD: 12

The president's national preparedness directive also required the federal agencies and departments to develop "readiness priorities, targets, and metrics." Utilizing the National Planning Scenarios to identify "the critical tasks that would need to be performed across the fifteen scenarios," DHS thus prepared a Target Capabilities List, "a set of thirty-six essential capabilities that should be developed and maintained, in whole or in part, by various levels of government to prevent, protect against, respond to, and recover from terrorist attacks and major disasters." Version 1.0 of the Target Capabilities List was published January 31, 2005. In the list, various disasters are mentioned this many times:
Hurricanes: 1
Natural disasters: 5
Terrorism: 121
WMD: 77

Cumulative score:
Hurricanes and Natural Disasters: 8
Terrorism and WMD: 210