First of all Welcome to the SSF!
You may find me a bit "long winded" but that seems to be my style.
Rather than re-visit all the things that you have been told here thus far, I will begin by suggesting that you give some serious consideration to a few issues and then make your plans according to the answers to your OWN questions.
Yes, there are a variety of opinions on exactly what is happening/going to happen in the next two to three years. You have been given a number of pieces of rather good advice from what I have seen thus far. WZ gave you guidance on things to consider for situations other than complete social and economic collapse which may or may not happen but the things she mentions DO HAPPEN all the time. While I admit, Rhode Island is NOT generally included in some of the more annoying environmental disasters, the truth is ANYTHING can cause a problem and as a result, you should be ready and able to support your wife and special needs son REGARDLESS of the cause.
One of the primary duties of a husband is to support and provide for his wife and children. You apparently recognize this as you are looking ahead to the future. Perhaps it is difficult to explain your concerns to your wife because among other issues which consume her such as caring for your special needs child, she is putting her energy into seeing that you are your son are provided for properly. You both support each other and in so doing devote a significant portion of your life to the "here and now" rather than to the "what if?" questions of life and the current times.
If one looks at the realities of the "here and now" they are beginning to look exactly like we have been warned about in the past so your concerns are quite timely.
As you have been told, there are certain necessities for the consideration of any serious disruption in social framework, among them are environmental disruption as well as disaster, and social upheaval. You will have to decide what you are going to do about dealing with these not only as they come but as they could appear. Certainly this morning with the news of the earthquake in Japan and the possible tsunami in Hawaii or even the west coast of the US, one is caused to stop and think about exactly how to respond to a devastating situation. Do you prepare "in place" or do you prepare to "hit the road?"
In your case several questions have to be answered.
1. Are you in a position to stay where you are in the event of a serious change in the way things are going?
2. Do you have someplace to go or not?
3. Do you have the means and the opportunity to go, in the event that this becomes necessary? Generally, a fire will require you to leave because your home and posessions are destroyed. Blizzards can be a bit easier in that you can sit them out assuming you have enough food and water for several days.
4. Do you have adequate provisions for the special needs of your child and wife? It is one thing to consider the basic requirements:
a) security
b) shelter
c) water
d) food
The real issue is what you will do about these things.
5. Can you manage those decisions with what you currently own?
6. Can you manage to travel on foot with your wife and child (based on their needs?)
7. How much can you carry and how far can you go?
8. Can you avoid the rest of society on your way, assuming that they have no issue with your traveling or what you currently own?
9. Would you be better off "in place"?
I can ask questions all day but you get the drift. If you are just starting to "come awake" and look at this seriously, it is certainly going to be important that you consider the feelings of your wife and her fears and concerns when making these decisions. She may be aware of it but too anxious to even deal with it.
This is where your leadership as a husband comes into play. You are going to be called upon to make decisions and while she may want to be included in the decision process, there will be times when you have to "break the tie". There will be times when she "has to break the tie". Each on the basis of the merits of knowledge, and other resources available to you and your wife. Each has their own strengths and weaknesses.
No one here can in such a short time, or short post, begin to tell you how to go about this. At this time, your best options are to go to the library and look at any books that can give you some strong guidance. There are lots of them. You won't be able to carry them if you have to leave so consider that as well. Many of us have been at this for many years. While that is something that may cause you to be anxious, you are welcome to our collective knowlege and experience so that you become one of us.
You will need courage, wisdom and faith to get yourself and family through any of these situations. How you respond to a crisis is entirely independent of any other human being, but is significanly reflected by the effect your response has on those around you.
Since you are NOT employed currently, you have some time to devote to these things and to spend with your child. The time you spend with your child is the most precious time of your life. They are only young for a short time. They are grown up for the majority of their existence and the older THEY get, the more superfluous WE become to them. Any male can become a father. Only a MAN becomes a Dad.
It may be that leaving where you are NOW and going to a "safe place" is the best option. If you have nothing now and you get there and have nothing, at least you will be where you feel safe.
The feeling of "feeling safe" is the pre-eminent and overwhelming drive that helps you make all the rest of your decisions. If you choose to go somewhere now, you must choose "wisely" as there are a multitude of issues that may in the very near future, limit your opportunities.
Do not mourn for losses of material wealth. If you leave "stuff" behind, so be it. You can always get more "stuff". It is your wife and child who are most important and their health and safety are YOUR FIRST CONCERN as a man/husband. All else pales by comparison.
Rather than go on ad infinitum here I will conclude by saying that we at SSF are all here to help each other. Everyone has an opinion as to what THEY think will happen, but I was raised to believe that only G*d knows for certain and HE tells us when HE is ready. It is for us to be ready to hear HIM when HE speaks to us. (There are those who will "flame me" for this paragraph, but I will NOT back down for the sake of "political correctness". I spent 40 years in the uniform of my country defending my right to voice MY opinion. Others are entitled to their own opinion. Nuff said.)
Be at Peace, Love your family and treat others how you would be treated.
Saepe Expertus, Semper Fidelis, Fratres Aeterni
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