SALT LAKE CITY – Utah residents can do several things to reduce potential earthquake hazards and damage in their homes.
Steps you can take on your own include:
- Strapping down televisions, computers and other expensive or hazardous electronics.
- Securely fastening or moving heavy pictures and mirrors currently located over beds or other furniture.
- Bracing water heaters and making sure that gas models have flexible connections.
- Knowing how and when to shut off utilities.
Some modifications may require a licensed contractor, designer or architect to complete. Among these are:
- Bracing or replacing masonry (brick) chimneys.
- Strengthening garages that have living space above them.
- Upgrading unbraced crawlspace walls and other foundation features.
For a full list of earthquake damage prevention measures and retrofits ─ including a cut-away diagram of where these potential hazards can be found in your home ─ download the FEMA brochure Earthquake Home Hazard Hunt at https://go.usa.gov/xGgUr or download the Utah DEM brochure Putting Down Roots in Earthquake County at https://www.utah.gov/beready/documents/roots_earthquake_low.pdf.
Meanwhile, you can browse a list of Utah-based licensed contractors, engineers and architects at https://secure.utah.gov/datarequest/professionals/index.html or check their licenses at https://secure.utah.gov/llv/search/index.html.
Utah residents impacted by the March 18 quake and aftershocks who have not registered with FEMA can still apply for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov or by calling the FEMA Helpline at 800-621-3362 (FEMA) or (TTY) 800-462-7585. Help is available in most languages.
If you require a reasonable accommodation or an alternative format of available information such as American Sign Language format, or audio format, please submit your request to: Region8AccommodationRequest@fema.dhs.gov.
Contact a FEMA Mitigation Specialist at FEMA-r8-HMhelp@fema.dhs.gov or a DEM Mitigation Specialist at bereadyutah@utah.gov for more information about making your home and family safer before, during and after an earthquake.
For more information on Utah’s recovery from the Magna Quake, visit, www.fema.gov/disaster/4548, or https://earthquakes.utah.gov/magna-quake/.