Thousands of earthquakes occur every year in the United States. Most are too small to be felt. Many Utahns felt the 5.7 earthquake on March 18, with an epicenter near Magna. This is Utah’s largest earthquake since a 5.9 magnitude quake in St. George back in 1992. The governor’s office reported that there were no fatalities.
While no catastrophic earthquakes have occurred in Utah for hundreds of years, Utah is a seismically active region. Being prepared for the possibility of an earthquake is smart — in Utah and numerous other places. Tips from Be Ready Utah on how to better prepare:
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Keep a flashlight and comfortable shoes near your bed.
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Ensure that your water heater is secured. It can be strapped to nearby studs.
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Move or secure things that could potentially fall and injure you during a quake, such as books, potted plants, or other heavy objects stored up high.
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In the event of an earthquake, move away from windows, tall bookshelves and anything else that could fall on you. If possible, move under a desk, table or other heavy furniture. If it moves, hold on and move with it. If no stable cover is available, move against a wall in the interior of a building, cover and protect yourself. If you are in bed, cover your head with a pillow.
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Store some emergency supplies. A list of examples can be found here.
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Sit down with your family and make a family preparedness plan.
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Visit and follow @BeReadyUtah to review preparedness techniques and additional tips here.
Hopefully, many more decades will pass before we notice the ground shaking again in our area. Preparedness brings peace of mind.
Tags: be ready utah, Earthquake