Are you ready to handle a major earthquake? We all know one is coming. Download the notes from our earthquake meeting held on September 15 >
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EARTHQUAKE PREPAREDNESS
Utah has experienced damaging earthquakes in the past and geologic evidence indicates that much larger earthquakes are likely in the future. If you live or work in Utah, you need to know why you should be concerned about earthquakes, what you can expect during and after an earthquake, and what you need to do beforehand to be safe and protect your property.
What do you NEED TO HAVE BEFORE
an earthquake hits Salt Lake City?
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Family Plan—where to meet. This plan needs to account for the time of day (are parents at work, are children at school, etc.) as well as the day of the week.
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Flash lights and batteries, and a lantern that doesn’t use oil (in case of gas leak). The LED flashlights are strong and last a long time.
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Shoes or slippers kept near your bed.
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Blankets or sleeping bags—this is a must to stay warm if it is winter time, or because you do not want to sleep upstairs, or because you may have to leave your house.
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Grab bag with food and water if you have to leave your house.
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Water—1 gallon per person per day. For drinking, cooking, cleaning, bathing, and sanitation. That’s a lot of water. Plus, water may not be available if one or more of the large aqueducts carrying water to the Wasatch Front ruptures. Find water tanks here
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Portable radio and batteries are very important to know what is happening. I mentioned we saw all these fires and heard sirens all morning, and we had no clue what was going on. We had no source of information.
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Cooking source: barbeque, generator, camp stove, sterno cans, and matches (if the electricity is off for longer than a day).
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First aid kit may be very important for immediate first aid needs. Depending on the size of the quake, help may not be available for quite a while.
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Fire extinguisher (have you tested yours lately?)
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Brace your water heater. This will prevent a lot of damage. Find a strap here
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Cabinet latches are a good idea to protect china and glasses from spilling out and breaking. They can be a bother (and you may not want to use them for everyday cabinets), but they can prevent a lot of damage in your kitchen.
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Consider bracing your chimney if it is high and old. Chimneys can come loose from the house and cause a lot of damage.
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Food supply including (1) items that you will eat, (2) can be prepared under adverse conditions with a minimum of cooking, and (3) need little water to prepare.
Download this list >
What do you NEED TO DO AFTER
an earthquake hits Salt Lake City?
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Check to make sure family members are okay.
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Administer first aid as needed.
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Calm family members. Children and even older people may be terribly frightened. Pets may be traumatized by the very loud noise of the quake. All will need your special care.
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Check for fires and gas leaks.
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Call for emergency help if needed. However, don’t expect your 911 call to yield results if we experience a powerful quake. There will be too many victims for responders to help. Look for CERT people to come by your house, although it will take more than an hour for them to organize.
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Turn off gas if you suspect a leak (if not keep it on).
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Help others (neighbors, or those are work) if needed.
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Stay away from anything that can fall in an aftershock, or remove the source of danger.
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Clean up broken glass or other hazardous materials that may have spilled.
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Keep refrigerator closed as much as possible, eat food that will spoil first.
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Stay calm, keep informed, be patient, and as much as possible be self-sufficient.
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And most of all, do not expect things to go as planned. Much will be determined on the time of day of the earthquake (is school in session, are parents at work), the day of the week (most families are separated from each other for at least part of the day, unless it is a weekend or holiday), and the time of the season (winter’s cold requires plans to stay warm). Also, quite obviously, is the magnitude of the quake and how far you are from its epicenter.
Download this list >
