Any or all of these targets could be struck in the coming weeks and months by everything from suicide bombers, to biochemical weapons, to radiological and nuclear weapons.

How likely is another terrorist attack? Virtually certain according to every major law enforcement and government official.

How serious will those attacks be? No one knows.

When will they occur? Again, no one knows.

In this time of war and terrorism it is only prudent that all of us take some basic, common-sense precautions. Here are 15 simple steps everyone can take:

1. Don’t surrender to fear or panic. Months after 9/11 there reports that people living in small towns in the U.S. were so overcome by fear that they were afraid even to go to the store to buy groceries. Others were unable to sleep or work. This is crazy and counterproductive.

Let’s put 9/11 in perspective. Although over 3,000 people died in 9/11, you are far more likely to die from a car accident – which kills 60,000 people a year - than from a terrorist attack, even a chemical or dirty-bomb attack. In fact, the greatest danger comes from panic.

2. Stay healthy and fit. In any crisis or disaster, the sick and unfit are the most vulnerable. If there is, God-forbid, a chemical or biological attack, toxins that will kill a sick person may just cause discomfort to the healthy and vital.

3. Keep a two-week supply of food and water. In most cases, normal food and water deliveries will be resumed within a week or two, even in event of a horrific terrorist attack.

Water is the most important. You can live for weeks without food, but only for a few days without water. You should stockpile a minimum of one gallon of water per day for each member of your household. Thus if there are four people in your household and want to assemble a two-week stockpile, you will need 64 gallons of safe water.

In virtually all areas, water from your tap (which is chlorinated) can be safely stored in sealed containers in a cool, dark place (such as a closet or basement) for at least 2-3 months, after which is should be replenished.

4. Have a well-stocked first aid kit and learn first aid. In a crisis, medical care may be in short supply and you need to be prepared to treat family members for minor injuries, or even broken bones.

The Red Cross and many hospitals and clinics offer free or inexpensive courses in first aid. Every adult family member should take one of these courses.

5. Monitor the news closely and have a battery-operated radio. That’s the best way to know if an attack in your is likely and what to do in event of an attack. In the event of a crisis, power may fail for many reasons ranging from terrorist sabotage to interruption in delivery of fuel to power stations to emergency cut-backs and blackouts.

Your battery-operated radio should receive all AM and FM channels, plus shortwave and police bands (which can give you early warning of danger) if possible. Also make sure you have plenty of fresh batteries.

6. Make sure all family members have cell phones and stay in touch. If there is an attack anywhere in your area or if authorities shut down bridges or roads in anticipation of an attack, you will want to be able to contact your children, spouse and family members immediately.

If you live and work within a few miles of each other, another option is to get some good walkie-talkies which now have a range of up to five miles, and will work even if phone service is disrupted.

7. Stock up on prescription medicines. Terrorism and war could cause shortages and at least temporary shortages, as could destruction of bridges or tunnels. Ask your doctor to prescribe an emergency supply of vital prescription medications for you or order from Canadian pharmacies or on-line from Internet pharmacies.

8. Keep your car's gas tank at least half filled. If there is a terrorist biological, chemical or radiological attack within 50 miles of where you live, the only protection may be to flee quickly.

9. Make sure you have plenty of credit on your credit cards and emergency cash. This is again important if you need to get out of town fast, or have to buy food or gasoline in the middle of an attack, when prices could skyrocket.

10. Prepay an extra month or two on your mortgage. This will give you tremendous peace of mind if your income or your access to your bank accounts is disrupted by war or terrorism.

11. Check to see if your bank and insurance company are sound. The War on Terror and our sinking economy could result in a massive wave of bank and insurance company failures soon.

During the savings-and-loan fiasco of the 1980s, some depositors lost everything. Simply transferring your assets from one bank to another could protect everything you’ve worked so hard to earn. But how do you find out now if you bank and insurance company are sound?

Although there are a number of services that rate financial institutions, including the well-known Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s, the best service is Weiss Ratings. Weiss is the only service that is truly independent and doesn’t accept money from the companies they are rating.

During the S&L crisis, when major rating services were giving S&L’s AA and AAA-ratings up until they day they collapsed, Weiss alone had the courage to give them the “D” and “F” ratings they deserved.

You can get an online rating for virtually any bank in the country for just $7.95 each from www.weissratings.com. Ratings for insurance companies and many stocks are also available.

12. Check locks on your home and business. Crime – including burglary – is up 20 to 30 percent in the last year as a result of the continuing bad economy and rising unemployment, which is estimated by Weiss Research to be nearly 11 percent and rising. Good locks on all doors and windows will cause many robbers to do elsewhere.

13. Get a shotgun and stock up on ammo. Terrorist attacks, massive war protests, and emergency regulations could spark riots. Many in fact believe that panic, fear and riots are actually the greatest danger we will face in the next few years.

As the L.A. riots prove, you and your neighbors may be your last – and only effective – line of defense from arsonists, thieves, and rapists. Who can forget the scenes of heroic Korean merchants successfully defending their stores with rifles and shotguns, while many neighborhoods burned?

14. Avoid target cities and postpone travel. The top four targets for terrorists in the U.S. are Washington, New York, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. I would avoid these cities unless you have to go there for work, and even when traveling there, I would avoid sightseeing in city centers and popular tourist attractions, which are the most likely targets.

Other major U.S. cities – including Chicago, Dallas, Houston, and Miami – are second-tier targets. The safest areas of the U.S. are rural and exurban areas.

15. In an emergency, avoid hospitals and crowds. In a disaster hospitals are reservoirs of disease and contagion, and crowds are just plain dangerous.

These measures will help, but they’re just the first step to protecting your family, assets and community from war and terrorism.

To learn more, check out my special report, Surviving Terrorism.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

War on Terrorism