News and Media: Disaster 4548

SALT LAKE CITY – Federal disaster assistance is available for Utahns impacted by the Magna Earthquake and aftershocks between March 18 and April 17.

If any of your friends or neighbors have damage caused by the quake, encourage them to register with FEMA. Letting everyone know is one way you can help your community recover.

Rather than visiting in person during this time of pandemic it's best to call, email, or text your neighbor to explain why it's important to apply for disaster assistance.

SALT LAKE CITY – Manufactured homes are especially at risk from earthquakes and their aftershocks.

Many manufactured homes rest on slender supports that can collapse or buckle during earthquakes, causing injuries to the occupants and damage to the structure, contents, water heater and utilities. 

Collapse can make doors and other exits unsafe while fractured gas lines can ignite fires. Fires spread faster between closely spaced dwellings, and the narrow roads found in many mobile-home parks make it harder for emergency services to respond.

SALT LAKE CITY – The deadline for Utah residents to register for federal disaster assistance for damage caused by the earthquake and aftershocks between March 18 and April 17 is Tuesday, September 8, 2020.

Since the July 8 disaster declaration, more than $1 million in federal disaster assistance has been provided to eligible applicants in Salt Lake and Davis counties, including more than $350,000 in FEMA grant funding.  

SALT LAKE CITY – While earthquakes are inevitable, the damage they cause is not. Utah homeowners can take simple actions to reduce property damage and the disruption to their lives caused by earthquakes.

One of the best non-structural measures you can undertake is strapping down your water heater. An earthquake-damaged water heater can cause fires, flooding, and carbon monoxide build-up (from gas-fired heaters) in the home. A protected water heater can be used as an emergency water source in cases where the disaster has knocked out local utilities.

SALT LAKE CITY – Utah has a rich heritage of brick architecture. From Fort Douglas and the Isaac Chase Mill to Provo Tabernacle and Brigham Young’s Winter Home, many of the state’s oldest and most historic structures were made with bricks.

However, many brick buildings are vulnerable to earthquakes.