US Risk Radar publishes practical disaster preparedness guidance for U.S. households. Our audience makes safety decisions based on what they read here, so accuracy, transparency, and accountability matter to us. This page documents how we produce, review, and update our content.
Editorial mission
No American should be caught off guard by a natural disaster.
Every page we publish exists to help a homeowner, parent, caregiver, renter, or first-time preparer move from "unprepared" to "ready in 72 hours" against the specific hazards their region faces.
Who is responsible
Editorial oversight is led by Gustavo Rodrigues, Senior Editor. Final responsibility for the content published on usriskradar.com rests with the editorial team. You can reach the editor at the address on our Contact page.
How we use AI
US Risk Radar uses AI-assisted research and drafting as part of our editorial workflow. AI is a tool — not the author of record. Every page that publishes on this site follows this process:
- Source. We start from a verified primary source: FEMA disaster declarations, NWS active alerts, USGS earthquake feeds, CDC preparedness guidance, Red Cross checklists, or manufacturer datasheets.
- AI-assisted draft. We use large language models to help organize the source material into a structured draft (introduction, sections, FAQ, checklist).
- Human review. A human editor reviews the draft against the original sources before publication, with attention to: factual accuracy, currency of the underlying data, life-safety claims, scope of recommendations, and clarity for non-expert readers.
- Fact-check. Specific claims that affect safety decisions — for example, water-per-person requirements, recommended battery chemistry for medical equipment, hurricane-watch vs. hurricane-warning definitions — are checked against the primary source linked in the article.
- Publish + monitor. After publication, we monitor for updates to underlying guidance (e.g., a CDC update, a manufacturer recall, a FEMA policy change). When guidance changes, we update the article and update the publication date.
We do not publish AI-only drafts without human review. We do not publish topics outside our editorial scope.
Sources we rely on
We prioritize primary government and emergency-management sources:
- FEMA —
fema.gov,ready.gov - National Weather Service —
weather.gov - U.S. Geological Survey —
usgs.gov - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention —
cdc.gov/disasters - U.S. Department of Agriculture (Food Safety) —
fsis.usda.gov - American Red Cross —
redcross.org - U.S. Fire Administration —
usfa.fema.gov - National Hurricane Center —
nhc.noaa.gov - State and local emergency-management offices when local-jurisdiction guidance applies.
When a manufacturer specification is referenced (for example, battery capacity, runtime, or safety certification), we link to the manufacturer’s official datasheet or product page.
Corrections policy
If we publish something that is wrong, we correct it. To report an error:
- Email the editor at the address on our Contact page.
- Include the URL, the specific claim you believe is incorrect, and the source that supports your correction.
We will:
- Acknowledge the report within 2 business days.
- Verify the claim against the primary source.
- Correct the article, mark the article’s update date, and (for material corrections that affect safety guidance) add a short "Correction: …" note near the original claim.
- Where appropriate, contact the original primary source for clarification.
We do not silently edit articles to remove errors. Material corrections are visible in the article.
Affiliate transparency
Some pages contain affiliate links. We follow FTC 16 CFR § 255 guidance with clear disclosure on every monetized page and a dedicated Affiliate Disclosure page describing our affiliate partners and process.
Affiliate participation does not influence what we recommend. See the Affiliate Disclosure page for details.
What we do not do
- We do not publish content that promises specific outcomes for life-safety scenarios. Preparedness reduces risk; it does not eliminate it.
- We do not recommend products solely because they pay an affiliate commission.
- We do not republish content from official sources without attribution and a link to the primary source.
- We do not publish under named credentials we do not hold. Where an article cites a credential or affiliation, that citation is real and verifiable.
- We do not use this site to collect personal information beyond what is documented in the Privacy Policy.
YMYL safety note
Disaster preparedness affects health, safety, and finances. The guidance we publish is general information for a general audience, not personalized advice. For your specific situation, always:
- Follow current guidance from FEMA, the National Weather Service, USGS, your local emergency management office, and your fire department.
- Consult licensed professionals (doctors, electricians, structural engineers) for situations that require professional assessment.
- Comply with official evacuation orders and shelter-in-place orders from local authorities.
We are an editorial resource. We are not a substitute for official emergency notifications, licensed professional advice, or first responders.
Changes to this policy
We update this policy when our process changes. The date below reflects the most recent substantive update.
Last reviewed: 2026-06-15