In the wake of the hurricanes that ravaged the Gulf Coast, Maine has undertaken a review of its emergency preparedness, and a task force has been created to study the state’s homeland security needs.

The task force will meet today for the first time and will hear from panelists representing the state’s emergency management agency, public health and safety departments, the fire marshal and the U.S. attorney’s office.

It will be up to task force members to sort through reams of information and various assessments of the risk the state faces. Obviously, it will be pulled to respond to the recent events, such as the storms that wrecked New Orleans or the threat against the mass transit system in New York. But its first priority – the first question that needs to be answered – is exactly what nature of threat is Maine most likely to face.

Hurricanes do not pose the same risk here that they do in warmer climates, but we do face challenging winter weather, including ice storms that can leave communities nearly isolated and without power. Our cities aren’t the tempting targets for terrorists as other, larger communities might be, but we do have active ports through which thousands of containers are shipped.

And, far from natural calamity or nefarious acts, rail or highway accidents could present significant threats to nearby communities. An inventory of what types of cargo travel around the state could help identify potential threats.

There’s also one obvious place for improvement. Maine’s communications network, on the best day, is spotty. In a large-scale disaster in which land lines could be compromised, first responders and government officials will depend on cellular and satellite communications. Today, we doubt there’s the capacity to maintain adequate communications.

Before the task force becomes overwhelmed with a task like planning for the evacuation of Portland, it should make a judgment about what’s most likely to happen and what would cause the most damage.

No one can predict absolutely what challenge Maine will face, and no amount of preparation can account for every contingency. By examining risks and resources, it will be easier to set priorities.