Be Informed

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Do This First

Being informed takes deliberate action before a disaster strikes. Here's where to start:

Identify the predominant hazards where you live. Learn which natural hazards are most common in your area and how they have historically affected your community.

Learn, practice, and teach protective actions. Know what to do immediately when a hazard strikes, before emergency services can reach you.

Register for warning systems in your area. Identify and sign up for local alert systems so you receive timely emergency notifications.

Sign up for earthquake alerts. Text UtahQuake to 43362 to receive earthquake tips and alerts.

Bookmark these key websites. earthquakes.utah.gov

Knowledge is power. The time to learn is before an emergency occurs. Families who understand the hazards they face, know the protective actions, and have registered for warning systems are dramatically better positioned to survive and recover.

Know Your Area

Utah Hazards

Utah's varying climate and terrain create a wide range of hazards. Every Utahn should know which hazards are present in their area, both natural and human-caused.

Winter Storms

Utah receives storms with significant wind, cold temperatures, and snowfall that can cause power outages and transportation disruptions.

High Winds & Tornadoes

Utah averages two tornadoes per year. An F2 tornado struck downtown Salt Lake City in 1999, killing one person and causing over $170 million in damages.

Lightning Strikes

Utah sees approximately 200,000 cloud-to-ground lightning flashes each year, making it the leading weather-related cause of death in the state.

Wildland Fires

70% of wildfires in Utah are human-caused, costing tens of millions of dollars annually. Dry summers increase risk significantly.

Structure Fires

Most structure fires can be prevented with basic fire safety practices and reducing hazards in your own home.

Floods

The most common and most expensive natural disaster in Utah. Homes outside designated flood plains are also at risk. Flooding can strike anywhere.

Earthquakes

About 1,500 earthquakes occur in Utah each year. The largest expected magnitude in Utah is 7.0–7.5, occurring roughly every 150 years along the Wasatch Front.

Thunderstorms

Can involve multiple simultaneous hazards: wind, heavy rain, lightning, hail, and flash flooding, often with little warning.

Landslides & Mud Flows

Common in areas that previously experienced wildfire. Over-saturated slopes can move quickly and with little warning.

Hazardous Materials

Roads, rails, and skies in Utah transport hazardous materials daily. Spills and accidents can require evacuation or shelter-in-place.

Biological Contamination

Contamination can spread through air, water, or direct contact, whether intentional or not. Common example: boil water notices.

Other Threats

Infrastructure failures, dam failures, cyber threats, and pandemic events are all part of Utah's risk landscape.

Explore Utah's disaster history (opens in new tab) to understand past events in your region.

What Happens When

Hazard Impacts

Hazards themselves are only part of the picture. What you're really preparing for are the downstream impacts: the disruptions to everyday life that follow. Think through each one and plan accordingly.

Power Outage Shaking ground topples power poles, breaks lines, and can trigger transformer fires. Plan for the possibility of no power for extended periods.

Water & Sewer Disruption You can only survive three to four days without clean drinking water. Sanitation failures cause rapid disease spread. Store water and plan accordingly.

Natural Gas Disruption Underground pipes can break or leak. Plan for the loss of gas for heating and cooking. Know how to safely shut off your gas supply.

Transportation Disruption Blocked roads, collapsed bridges, or inoperable vehicles may limit your ability to move. Plan routes and alternatives before you need them.

Communication Breakdown Phone lines, cell towers, radio, and TV stations can all go offline simultaneously. Plan for how you will communicate with family if standard methods fail.

Loss of Shelter You may need to evacuate an unsafe home, or your HVAC system may fail. Know where you would go and have alternate shelter arrangements planned.

Supply Chain Disruption Impassable roads empty store shelves quickly. Your emergency kit should be built well before a disaster, not the day before.

Limited Health & Medical Services Medical facilities will be overwhelmed. Plan for the possibility of limited outside medical help and ensure your household has basic first aid supplies.

Economic Downturn When supply chains and commerce halt, financial hardship follows. Having savings and essential supplies can help bridge difficult periods.

Mental & Emotional Strain Disasters push families and communities to their limits. Plan ways for your household to cope with stress. This is a real and legitimate preparedness need.

Reduced Safety & Security Law enforcement and fire/rescue will be overwhelmed. New hazards like broken glass and debris may exist in your own home. Stay situationally aware.

Disruption of Government Services If you rely on government services for financial or other support, those services may be temporarily disrupted. Plan for self-sufficiency for at least 72 hours, ideally two weeks.

When Disaster Strikes

Protective Actions

Protective actions are the immediate steps you take to protect yourself and others from the initial impact of a hazardous event. Knowing your hazards and your impacts doesn't help if you don't know what to do when they occur.

If you don't know how to survive the initial disaster, the rest of your planning doesn't matter. Visit the Protective Actions page (opens in new tab) to learn the immediate actions for each type of hazardous incident that could affect your area.

Stay Connected

Reliable Warning Systems

Knowing how you will receive emergency information is as important as knowing what hazards you face. Warning systems vary by jurisdiction. Contact your local Emergency Manager to find out what's available in your area.

Emergency Alert System (EAS)

Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA)

Local Alert Systems

Highway Message Boards

Tone Alert Radios

Route Alerting

Outdoor Sirens

Text & Email Groups

Social Media

The key question: How will you receive emergency instructions and public information when disaster strikes? Where are the shelters? Where can you get food and water? Can you stop boiling your water? Know the answers before you need them.

Sign up for earthquake alerts: Text UtahQuake to 43362. Find your local Emergency Manager at dem.utah.gov (opens in new tab).

Build Real Skills

Practice Makes Prepared

Knowing information intellectually is very different from knowing how to act under stress. Regular practice turns plans into habits and habits into survival.

Hold fire drills. Practice your home escape routes with all family members, including children.

Run evacuation drills. Know your routes out of your neighborhood, including backups if roads are blocked.

Practice earthquake drills. "Drop, Cover, and Hold On" should be an automatic response, not something you have to think about.

Make a disaster supply kit dinner. Actually cook a meal using only your kit supplies. You'll quickly find out what you're missing.

Take it one piece at a time. It's never too late to prepare. Start now.

Learn More

Downloads & Key Links

📄 Downloads

FEMA Free Preparedness PublicationsOrder / Download

Floods: What You Should Know in UtahPDF Download

🔗 Key Links

Earthquakes Utahearthquakes.utah.gov

Ready.gov: Be InformedFederal preparedness resources

Be Ready Utah

Being informed can save your life.