This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Nearly 1 million Utahns are signed up to participate in this year's edition of the Great Utah ShakeOut, setting aside Thursday for events and education aimed at preparing for the inevitable Big One.
Along with individual Utahns, businesses, schools, churches and government agencies have mustered to take part in activities throughout the day in Salt Lake, Utah, Davis and Carbon counties. That number topped 960,000 people as of Wednesday morning, and organizers were optimistic that total would reach the 1 million mark — a record for the annual "Drop, Cover and Hold On" program, said Joe Dougherty, spokesman for the sponsoring Utah Division of Emergency Management.
A new forecast from the Working Group on Utah Earthquake Probabilities estimates a 43 percent probability that the Wasatch Fault Zone, along which 80 percent of the state's population lives, will be hit by an earthquake of magnitude 6.75 or greater within the next 50 years.
The toll for such a quake, researchers say, could be up to 2,500 lives, along with structural and infrastructure damages topping $33 billion.
The official time for this year's annual earthquake drill is 10:15 a.m., and organizers are hoping a rich offering of events, educational presentations, videos, and apps will keep the message fresh.
"Remember, preparedness saves time, money, effort, and most importantly, lives. We practice what to do so we respond appropriately," Dougherty said.
Here are some of the links, events and other resources for the Great Utah ShakeOut (for a complete list, go to http://www.shakeout.org/utah/participants.php):
Social Media • Resources include Twitter: Follow @UtahShakeOut and @BeReadyUtah. Hashtags on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest: #ShakeOut. Facebook.com/UtahShakeOut. Periscope: Follow UtahShakeOut, and Be Ready Utah for a live look at the drill at the Capitol.
Preparedness videos • On YouTube they include "Utah: Preparedness Now," and "Be Ready Utah — Make a Kit."
Graphical downloads • Images including web banners and Facebook cover images are available at http://www.shakeout.org/utah/resources/banners.html
Public drills for the Great Utah ShakeOut public drills on Thursday will include:
• State Capitol Campus, 350 N. Main St., 10:10-10:45 a.m. State employees will "drop, cover and hold on" as fire alarms are pulled, then will evacuate and practice reuniting at evacuation points.
• University of Utah (http://emergencymanagement.utah.edu/shakeout/schedule), President's Circle, 10:15 to 10:18 a.m.
• Provo City Center Evacuation drill at 10:15, and Emergency Operations Center setup in Classroom B at Rec Center from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• Centerville City, 250 N. Main, Thursday and Saturday activities for city employees and families
• Carbon County will host an open discussion on earthquake response at the Carbon County Events Center, 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.
• St. Mark's Hospital, Jordan Valley Hospital, Lone Peak Hospital, Ogden Regional Medical Center, and Mountain View Hospital all plan cooperative drills and other activities modeling earthquake responses beginning 11 a.m. A mobile hospital will be set up at St. Mark's Hospital, 1200 E. 3900 South, Salt Lake City.
Events are also happening at IASIS hospitals, such as Salt Lake Regional Medical Center and Jordan Valley West.
Twitter: @remims