Prepare for the Big One, northern Utahns warned

If the Big One ever hits the Wasatch Front, you need to be ready.

That was the message from Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and emergency management director Cory Lyman on Tuesday as National Preparedness Month kicked off.

"The threat is real here," Lyman said, urging residents to take steps to protect themselves and their families against the problems caused by a major earthquake.

Prepare evacuation and communication plans, he said. Have a 72-hour kit filled with food, water, medication, clothing, vital records and other supplies that is easily accessible. Keep your car's gas tank full, and keep a "go kit" in the car.

Mitigate hazards inside your home by keeping heavy objects on lower shelves and securing bookcases, Lyman added. Keep vital records in a safe deposit box, and complete an inventory of your property and insurance, making sure property is covered for specific hazards.

The threat of a major earthquake striking the Salt Lake Valley is nothing new.

The Department of Homeland Security has tapped Salt Lake City as one of 62 urban areas facing the highest risk for a natural or man-made disaster.

Seismologists such as the University of Utah's Walter Arabasz have issued cautions concerning the Wasatch Fault's potential for destruction for decades.

Historically, the fault has produced a magnitude 7.0 earthquake once every 300 to 400 years. The last time it happened, Arabasz said Tuesday, was about 300 years ago.

If such a quake were to hit the valley it would likely cause an estimated $42 billion in economic loss, some 9,000 life-threatening injuries and fatalities and the displacement of 150,000 homes, he said.

And emergency responders would be stretched thin, Lyman said, stressing the need for a 72-hour kit. I-15 runs along the fault line, which could make it difficult for aid from out of state to reach the city.

"Prepare as if you're not going to get help for at least three days," he said.

Becker talked about the need for an emergency-operations center that could withstand a major earthquake. Earlier this summer, the City Council voted to place a $125 million bond issue on the November ballot to pay for a new public-safety building and emergency-operations center.

Meanwhile, the city is taking steps to prepare for a disaster, Becker said.

The City-County Building and other government buildings have been seismically retrofitted. The mayor also has proposed a new city ordinance that would require landowners to upgrade the seismic stability of apartment buildings if they are being converted into condominiums.

e-mail: afalk@desnews.com