Utah Earthquake Preparedness Week April 2010 Media Links
Website dedicated to earthquake preparedness:
http://bereadyutah.gov/EarthquakePreparedness.html
Media attention came from:
Television:
ABC 4 TV, KUTV CH 2 TV, FOX 13 News, KSL TV CH 5, Local News 8 in Idaho, KPVI 6 News Idaho
Radio:
KSL News Radio 102.7 FM and 1160 AM, 100.3 FM, 103.5 FM
Print:
The Salt Lake Tribune (2 separate stories), Ogden Standard Examiner, St. George Spectrum newspaper and the Associated Press.
Result:
Visits to BeReadyUtah.gov increased by 756% (Monday – Friday total) from the previous week’s visits
KSL TV CHANNEL 5 (They have great links to Be Ready Utah and the earthquake handbook on KSL.com with this story)
Recent earthquakes worry Utahns April 8, 2010
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=10314801 – Video link
SALT LAKE CITY — News of recent earthquakes in Haiti, Chile and Mexico has a lot of people anxious about earthquakes closer to home. In fact, Gov. Gary Herbert has declared this Earthquake Preparedness Week in Utah.
Last weekend’s earthquake in Mexico shook some Utahns up emotionally. Maps, facts and figures of earthquake realities here at home have got people wondering what it will be like when it happens here.
There are several earthquake preparedness meetings going on across the state this week, but the information really isn’t that new. Most Utahns are aware they live in earthquake country, and estimates about what would happen have been known for years.
If the region was hit by a 7.0 magnitude earthquake, the ground would shake and split in spots. Roads and bridges would be destroyed, clogging traffic. There would be significant casualties, and hospitals would be overwhelmed. Older brick buildings would likely not do well.
Pictures of earthquake aftermath can create anxiety. From a preparedness standpoint, officials say that’s a useful thing.
“Seventy-two percent of the people basically have some sort of 72-hour kit in place. But after that, we’re running into that they’re not reducing the risk in their homes,” says Bob Carey, with the Utah Division of Homeland Security.
Studies show most earthquake injuries come from unsecured items falling on people in buildings, not from structural collapse. Utah officials are urging people to be aware of things that can fall, as well as having a 72-hour kit.
Part of being prepared, officials say, is knowing that you could likely be isolated after a major earthquake. The reason is that official 911 services are simply going to be overwhelmed during the disaster.
E-mail: rpiatt@ksl.com
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=10314801 – Video link
Salt Lake Valley is due for a major quake, so county urges residents to prepare.
By Jeremiah Stettler | The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake TribuneUpdated:04/08/2010 09:00:21 PM MDT
Chile, Haiti and, someday, Holladay? Potent, high-profile earthquakes have rattled the globe in recent months, killing tens of thousands in Haiti, claiming hundreds more in Chile and raising questions in Utah about when the Big One might hit here. It’s a time for preparedness, experts say, not panic. So, as part of Earthquake Preparedness Week, here is a look at key questions.
How likely is a major quake?
Since Mormon pioneers settled the Salt Lake Valley, the state has recorded 16 temblors measuring 5.5 magnitude or greater.
But it has been about 1,300 years since a quake topping 7.0 struck the Salt Lake Valley. So how many years usually pass between big quakes? About 1,300 years.
That’s not to say a catastrophic earthquake is imminent, noted Bob Carey, earthquake program manager for the Utah Division of Homeland Security, but it’s statistically coming due.
“You are in a time frame,” he said Thursday, “that [an earthquake] is probably more likely than less likely.”
The risk is serious enough that Salt Lake County Emergency Services Coordinator Jeff Graviet ranks earthquake preparedness as his top priority. No other natural disaster, he said, poses more danger.
“We have wildland fires, we have floods and we have major winter storms,” Graviet said. “Those come in and impact us. But they don’t impact us to [the degree] this scenario will. The main catastrophic threat to the Salt Lake Valley is a 7.0 earthquake.”
Where would it strike?
The worst shaking would happen along the east benches, adjacent to the Wasatch fault. But the tremors would ripple westward, likely causing intense shaking almost anywhere in the valley.
“There are probably not too many places,” Carey said, ” … where you can hide from significant ground shaking.”
Neighborhoods north of Interstate 80 and east of 1100 East would be the most affected, as well as upper-bench areas between Little and Big Cottonwood canyons.
However, the threat from liquefaction — in which soils become jelly-like and fail to support structures — generally grows more perilous as you go west in the valley.
How would a 7.0 quake affect the valley?
A powerful temblor could rupture pipelines, damage hospitals, destroy bridges and topple homes. It could cut off water, electricity, natural gas and telephone service.
The latest estimates show that 98,000 households in Utah’s most-populous county could be left without shelter.
As for deaths and injuries? Depending on the time of day, the quake could kill between 2,200 and 2,900 people. Thousands more could suffer injuries requiring hospitalization.
How is Salt Lake County preparing?
By December, the county will have coordinated the emergency-response plans of every city to ensure that communities can work together to provide water, shelter and public safety after a disaster.
Once those plans are put together, officials will begin hands-on training about how to respond to various emergency scenarios.
How should you prepare?
Because a massive quake likely would overwhelm government services, Graviet said people should be prepared to dig themselves out.
He urged people to:
Prepare a 72-hour kit with food and medical supplies.
Seek training through a program such as CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams).
Create a “family plan” that includes details about what to do and where to go during an earthquake.
“The anxiety goes away,” Carey said, “as you start to prepare yourself.”
Where to get more information:
Earthquake-preparedness tips are available online at http://bereadyutah.gov.
Quake readiness a family priority The Dibbles � When the Big One strikes, they’ll be ready for the worst. Will you?
By Judy Fahys
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake Tribune Updated:04/11/2010 08:12:37 AM MDT
Jon and Colleen Dibble don’t wonder “if” a big earthquake will hit Utah.
They’re getting ready for “when” it happens.
“It used to be in the 80s and 90s that [Utahns believed] it’s never going to happen, an earthquake isn’t going to happen,” said Jon Dibble, a Salt Lake City lawyer. “But that’s a fantasy.”
The point was brought home to him in 1988, after a wintertime earthquake killed 25,000 people in the Armenian city of Spitak, a place with geography and climate much like Utah’s — and a similar risk of earthquakes.
Since then, geologists and emergency planners have estimated that a magnitude-7 earthquake would affect about 80 percent of Utahns in 11 counties that include the populous Wasatch Front. Between 5,100 and 6,200 could be killed, depending on the time of day it strikes.
About 700 earthquakes, including aftershocks, occur every year in Utah, according to the state earthquake safety office, which is observing Earthquake Preparedness Week in Utah this week.
In the years since he first grasped the hazard, Dibble was ultimately successful in prodding the Salt Lake City School District to make school buildings earthquake worthy. He’s surprised other districts have not tackled the problem, too.
Meanwhile, at their East Bench home, his family began thinking hard about what they could do toprepare. Their preparations, the Dibbles said, would allow the couple and their five daughters to live comfortably for about a month, even in the dead of winter.
Colleen Dibble noted that takes a good deal of planning to manage all the necessary provisions needed. But, it is doable, she said.
“We started one step at a time,” she said. “We decided we needed food and we needed to get the house ready.”
They have built an underground addition to their home to protect them and their storehouse of water, food and other key provisions in the event of a severe earthquake. Seventy-two-hour backpacks for all seven family members are ready to go with food, water and even stocking caps and sweaters.
“The idea,” said Jon Dibble, “is to assume it is going to happen in January. Then you survive” even the most challenging conditions.
Here are the Dibbles’ top 5 tips:
Shelter: Have clear plastic sheeting and a staple gun ready to cover shattered windows and other openings that will let in the elements so your family will be protected from exposure. Also keep handy — even under your bed — shoes, gloves and a flashlight so you can make your way outside without getting cut on the broken glass that is bound to be in your path.
Water: The Dibbles maintain 55-gallon barrels on castors, plus they rotate cases of bottled water in their basement food-stash. Water is essential for maintaining health, as well as treating wounds and personal care.
Food: A simple and inexpensive (about $100 to make) food storage shelving allows the family to keep canned basics on hand. The family incorporates the same canned foods — along with a complement of dry goods — into their ordinary meals so they can be sure everything is edible when an emergency does strike.
Energy: A 1,000-watt generator, fueled by gasoline from the family’s Suburban and other cars, can provide enough warmth and cooking fuel for three hours a day of use. In addition, there’s an extra propane tank for the grill, two Dutch ovens, 300 pounds of coal and wood.
Sanitation: A portable toilet setup includes a covered seat on a 5-gallon utility bucket, along with sanitizer and disposal bags. And, as a backup, a pick and shovel will allow for waste burial.
Get ready
For more tips, see the booklet Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country: Your handbook for Earthquakes in Utah, at ussc.utah.gov/publications/roots_earthquake.pdf
OGDEN STANDARD EXAMINER
In Utah, earthquake worries belong to almost
everyone
Created Apr 8 2010 – 10:46pm
By Roy Burton, Standard-Examiner staff
This is your fault, Utah.
everyone
Created Apr 8 2010 – 10:46pm
By Roy Burton, Standard-Examiner staff
This is your fault, Utah.
It’s an earthquake-primed north-south trail that follows the state’s primary transportation and population corridor along Interstate 15, putting everyone at risk when — not if — the earth starts to shake, rattle and hum.
There may be no one but geology to blame when the Big One finally hits, but the Wasatch Fault will be nearly everyone’s fault then: The Utah Seismic Safety Commission says 80 percent of Utah’s population lives within 15 miles of the Wasatch Fault in the Wasatch Front area, putting four out of five Utahns in the state’s danger zone.
Earthquakes are on everyone’s mind recently: the 7.0 magnitude temblor that devastated Haiti in January; an 8.8-magnitude quake that shook Chile and sparked fears of tsunami across the globe in February. This week, a 7.2 earthquake and aftershocks in Baja California affected U.S. cities, and a 7.7 temblor hit in Sumatra, Indonesia.
In Utah, Gov. Gary Herbert proclaimed April 4-10 as Earthquake Preparedness Week.
Lance Peterson, director of emergency management and homeland security in Weber County, said it’s important for individuals and families to be prepared to take care of themselves immediately following a catastrophic event.
“The definition of a disaster is that we’re overwhelmed, we don’t have enough resources to respond,” Peterson said. “If we had enough resources to respond, it’s not a disaster.”
You will likely be on your own for the first 72 hours, Peterson said.
The assessment of damage and prioritization of resources will begin as soon as the ground stops moving, but it could take days for help to arrive at a specific home.
“That’s why a 72-hour kit and neighbor helping neighbor is so important,” Peterson said.
A family disaster plan should outline where to meet and who to contact to find family members if they are separated at school or work when the temblor strikes.
The 72-hour kit needs to have enough food and water, clothing and first-aid supplies to provide for your needs until help arrives. Water is especially important, Peterson said, because many waterlines and other infrastructure in the Top of Utah will not withstand a large quake.
Peterson recommends insuring your home against earthquake damage.
He also suggests attending a Community Emergency Response Team training session held in your city, typically one night a week over a seven-week course.
“CERT is the kind of training that just might save your life,” Peterson said. “CERT teaches you some basic skills in putting out a fire, search and rescue, extrication and medical (though it is not a CPR class).”
CERT-trained citizens will be instrumental as likely first responders near their own homes, he said.
“They’re critical because it’s going to be neighbor helping neighbor,” Peterson said.
There have been 16 earthquakes greater than magnitude 5.5 since pioneers settled in Utah in 1847, according to a handbook, “Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country,” published by the Utah Seismic Safety Commission.
The Wasatch Front can expect temblors greater than 6.0 on the Richter scale at least once every 50 years. The last two were a 6.0-magnitude earthquake on the Utah-Nevada border in 1966 and a 6.0 in 1975 on the Utah-Idaho border. St, George felt a 5.9 quake in 1992.
The area also has a long geologic history of quakes greater than 6.5.
When a Wasatch Fault quake hits, Weber and Davis counties could be relatively undamaged, said Bob Carey, earthquake program manager for the Utah Division of Homeland Security.
Carey said the most likely scenario — a level 7.0 earthquake centered near Salt Lake City — might cause problems in Ogden, but would not cause the same devastation as a quake closer to the city.
What are particularly vulnerable are masonry buildings built before 1975, which would be why most of Davis County, where most buildings are newer, may not be as affected.
Carey said he believes Ogden would have pockets of destruction, based on studying California quakes.
A large earthquake hitting Weber County is a possibility, he said, because “Mother Nature sometimes doesn’t go where you think it should go.”
If that happens, Peterson said, older, unreinforced brick buildings would be severely damaged.
Even worse are the nonstructural damages. Falling ceilings and lighting fixtures, toppled bookcases or hutches and items falling from open cupboards all could cause even more problems than walls falling down, Peterson said. He recommends people secure those types of items to the wall studs.
Carey said toppled hot water tanks and the resulting gas leaks would start fires.
Standard-Examiner reporter Di Lewis contributed to this report.
ABC 4 TV: “Preparing for the Big One” (VIDEO)
ABC 4 TV: “Utah Governor declares this week Earthquake Preparedness Week” brief written story and link to Be Ready Utah
Fox 13 TV: “State officials remind Utahns to stay prepared for potential big quake”
Associated Press Story: Utah gov announces earthquake preparedness week
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Utah Gov. Gary Herbert has designated April 4-10 as Earthquake Preparedness Week. A Web site provides tips on what to do in preparation for an earthquake and its aftermath. The Utah Seismic Safety Commission says about 700 earthquakes, including aftershocks, occur every year in Utah. Roughly 80 percent of the state’s population would be affected by a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch Fault. On the Net: http://bereadyutah.gov
FM 100.3 and 103. 5
Bob Carey and Ryan Longman sat down with FM 100.3′s Rebecca Cressman for a 25 minute show about Earthquake Preparedness and Be Ready Utah. It was broadcast this weekend on FM 100.3 and sister station 103.5 FM as part of their “Utah Weekly Forum” community information radio series on Sunday evening at 11 p.m.
KSL NEWS RADIO 102.7 FM and 1160 AM
KSL Radio’s Doug Wright spoke to Bob Carey and the LDS Church about earthquake and emergency preparedness. Bob’s interview is the first half and the LDS Church is the second half. You’ll have to scroll through the beginning through the commercials and their news break at the top. Doug then begins the show with Bob Carey at about 9 minutes after the top of the hour.