The location is Fairfax, Va. Upon entering the local home-improvement warehouse, shoppers pass by the trademarked orange sign advertising the day’s specials that one may find at any Home Depot. Not too out of the ordinary, but upon further inspection the “specials” seem a little strange, almost surreal.

The text on the sign is neatly written in stark black letters, guiding shoppers to the new Homeland Security supply department. Plastic sheeting, bottled water and duct-tape are still all available, but dwindling fast. The nervous tension is palpable. Each customer seems to be dealing with anxiety in his or her own way. Some laughing, some chatting excitedly and others quietly assembling their lists, eager to return home and start construction of a “safe room” to protect their families in case of a terrorist attack.

To many Midwesterners, this type of scenario is one that seems far fetched and could easily be a plot line in the latest Jerry Bruckheimer film. But on the East Coast and other metropolitan areas, this type of experience is becoming more and more common.

Although the Midwest seems far removed from any terrorist activities, its residents should not pay any less attention to the impact a terror attack could cause.

Last Friday the Department of Homeland Security raised the terror threat level from yellow to orange. Vaguely instructing Americans to “be aware” of their surroundings and suspicious activities, a pretty black-and-white set of instructions followed.

Constantly reported by the media Friday and throughout the weekend, the terror alert could not be avoided while casually flipping through local cable channels.

Hashed and rehashed, the message was clear: There really wasn’t a message, just a suggestion. So the public did what the public would do in any similar situation — ignored it.

Attitudes changed quickly, at least on the East Coast, Monday. The sobering details of what may lie ahead for some Americans slammed a frightening vision of the big picture into perspective for the whole country. Being told by our government that should another terror attack take place, people should expect to fend for themselves for three days doesn’t sit too well with the populous.

And why should it?

Sadly, the truth of the matter is that ever since Sept. 11 our lives as Americans have changed permanently. We will always have to “be aware” of our surroundings and suspicious activities. We simply don’t have the resources as a country to react efficiently to a large scale attack on our own soil.

The best defense to a possible attack is to heed — or at least keep in the back of our minds — the warnings our government feels it needs to give the public.