There's a mod that gives you a pop-up when one of your settlements is under attack. I installed it after I came back to sanctuary once and a settler was missing and everyone was talking about an attack that I didn't see or hear any notifications for.
Got a bunch of extra weapons and armor laying around? Give them to your settlers. But nothing explosive, that tends to end badly.
"Badly." There are few things more comical than forcing the fights into close quarters while all your settlers are armed with fat men. The raiders will never fuck with that settlement again.
Rainbow 6 Siege has spoiled me, I keep hoping if I fire a missile at a wooden wall it will blow open a new doorway.
Ugh keeping your settlers updated with equipment becomes a pain in the ass, I gave people stuff once and never again since I didn't feel like tracking them down and going through dialogue options to barter and hand them stuff and click to equip them.
maybe the other settlers got hungry and ate the missing one and that is why there was no notification? and the settlers were passing it off as an 'attack'
so pop in to play and zimonja is now at 12 settlers. sanctuary is still at 8 but this freaking zimonja... wtf it just keeps growing like crazy and have to just keep building it up and up.