SALT LAKE CITY — Drop, cover and hold on.
More than 700,000 Utahns will be participating in a statewide earthquake drill Thursday for the annual Great Utah ShakeOut, an initiative to help people and organizations practice how to protect themselves in the event of a major earthquake.
Joe Dougherty, spokesman for the Utah Division of Emergency Management, said a 7.0-magnitude earthquake in the Salt Lake segment of the Wasatch fault is considered the worst natural disaster that could happen in the region.
Such a catastrophe would have crippling structural and economic damage to the state, so Dougherty said coping with it depends on Utahns’ level of individual preparedness.
The goal of the Great ShakeOut is not only to teach people how to protect themselves during the quake by taking cover under a sturdy object, but also to become more mindful of habits they can develop to be more prepared, Dougherty said.
“While we’re waiting for it to happen, we as residents can really take command now,” he said. “Preparedness on the individual level is really one of the keys that will tell how well we do as a state.”
Bob Carey, operations chief for the Utah Division of Emergency Management, said while having a 72-hour kit is a good start, Utahns will be better off if they have at least two weeks' worth of food and water, if not a robust food storage in their home, because it will take much longer than three days to return to the quality of life they're used to.
"It's going to take a while for government to reorganize itself," Carey said. "So people need to have a level of responsibility."
Dougherty said in case families can't stay in their homes, they should have a "grab-and-go" emergency kit that would include at least some of the following supplies:
Five days' worth of food and water
Fire extinguisher
First aid kit
Extra clothing
Shelter (blanket & a tent)
Flashlight
Radio
Extra batteries
Carey also urged Utahns to never allow their vehicles' gas tanks to fall below half-full, so at any given moment they'll have at least half a tank of fuel. He also said it's important that family members know how to shut off the home’s gas line if it becomes severed, to prevent fires.
Dougherty said residents should take small steps to increase household safety by strapping their water heaters down so they aren't rattled loose, which would rupture gas lines and cause fires. He said injuries can also be prevented by relocating all heavy objects to lower shelves or away from beds.
"The main thing is you want to come out of this thing safe, so you'll be ready to help others, and you can only help others if your own family is already safe," he said.
More individual and family preparedness information is available at the Be Ready Utah website.
Also, consult the website and mobile apps for the American Red Cross, which lists ways to prepare: www.redcross.org/prepare.
Email: kmckellar@deseretnews.com