Sounds good. It will come in mighty handy if/when such an event goes down in his neighborhood. Fair enough, except for one small issue. He lives in a very small town better than twenty miles away from any likely target. Realistic chances his home will see a dirty bomb or be downwind of one are slim to none.
He hollowed out a good portion of his savings and investments and is now facing a considerable amount of financial pain. Those thousands would be handier right now than all that gear. But he can't sell it and get his money back. Worse still, some of it will have to be replaced if it is to be depended on. Plastics, rubber and especially the filters, all have limited lifespans.
Preparation involving expensive gear is not all up-side. Every dollar you spend on it comes from something else. Not all potential scenarios are as likely as all others. Not all gear and provision are universally applicable. More is not always better in all categories. Preparing for the worse possible situation is not always the best way to go.
You are right on with this post. The most important part of emergency planning involves a realistic risk assessment. This should be followed with a thoughtful and well researched action plan and only then, the procurement of necessary (and preferably multi-purpose) supplies and equipment.
You can't be hermetically sealed against the rain, you just need an umbrella.
Without knowing all the details, I would guess that this gentleman might have been adequately served (mostly psychologically) by having food and water for a week and an all-hazard radio (multi-purpose). For the radiological threat; an evacuation plan for every wind direction, or if he preferred to sit tight; some plastic sheeting and duct tape for windows, iodine tabs, and some decent dust masks. Maybe a $150 invested in the radiological threat.
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