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Utah is Earthquake Country, Emergency Preparedness - Step 7 Print E-mail
Thursday, 31 December 2009
When Safe, Continue to Follow Your Disaster-Preparedness PlanEarthquake

(The following information is from the Utah Geological Survey/Utah Seismic Safety Commission’s October 2008 handbook “Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country”)
Let us review the previous six steps of preparing for an earthquake: step one is to identify potential hazards in your home and fix them. Step two is to create a disaster-preparedness plan. Step three is to prepare disaster supply kits, and step four is to identify potential weaknesses in your building and fixing them. Step five is what you should do when the shaking starts, and the sixth step instructs on what to do after the earthquake. The final step in this series, step seven, is to continue to follow your disaster preparedness plan the days, weeks and months following the earthquake.

Myth: “I don’t need to worry about earthquakes – the government will save me!” Don’t be fooled. Many people wrongly believe that the U.S. government will take care of all of their financial needs if they suffer losses in an earthquake. The truth is that federal disaster assistance is only available if the president formally declares a disaster. Even if you do get disaster assistance, it is usually a loan that you must repay, with interest, in addition to mortgages and other financial obligations you still owe, even on damaged property. If you don’t qualify for loans, grants may be available to you. However, these are only designed to meet your most immediate needs, not to replace your losses.  

In the first days after a damaging earthquake be sure to put safety first. Ensure there are no gas leaks or chemical spills in your home, and unplug broken or toppled light fixtures and appliances. These could start fires when the electricity is restored. Be in communication by turning on portable radios and listening for information and safety advisories. Call your out-of-area contact to advise them of your status, and check on your neighbors. Check your food and water supplies. If power is off, you’ll need to plan meals that can use up refrigerated and frozen foods first. If your water is off, you can drink from water heaters, melted ice cubes, or canned vegetables. Avoid drinking water from swimming pools or hot tubs; use it to fight fires.

If you were able to remain in your home or return to it after a few days, you will have a variety of tasks to accomplish while re-establishing family and individual daily routines: if your gas was turned off, making arrangements with the gas company to turn your gas back on; checking your appliances and electrical equipment for damage; checking water lines for damage; locating or replacing critical documents that may have been misplaced, damaged or destroyed; contacting your insurance company to begin the claims process; contacting the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to find out about financial assistance (1-800-621-FEMA (3362)).

If you can’t stay in your home the American Red Cross offers immediate emergency assistance with housing needs. The Red Cross also supports shelter operations prior to a presidential declaration of a federal disaster. Once a presidential declaration has been issued, FEMA may activate the Assistance for Individuals and Households Program. This program includes:
-Home repair cash grants
-Housing assistance in the form of reimbursement for short-term lodging expenses at a hotel or motel
-Rental assistance for as long as 18 months in the form of cash payment for a temporary rental unit or a manufactured home
-If no other housing is available, FEMA may provide mobile homes or other temporary housing

Financial Impact of an Earthquake

Following a quake, disaster aid may not be immediately available, so plan ahead. Financial recovery planning resources are available from:

-Operation Hope Emergency Financial First Aid Kit:

            http://www.ncua.gov/Publications/brochures/EmergencyFinancialFirstAidKit.pdf

-American Red Cross - Disaster Recovery:  A Guide to Financial Issues (2003):

            http://www.redcross.org/services/disaster/beprepared/FinRecovery/

-Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA):

            http://www.fema.gov/about/process

-Small Business Administration:

            http://www.sba.gov/disaster_recov/index.html

As part of your financial disaster recovery kit you will need copies of essential financial documents, as well as emergency cash. Keep these items together, current, and stored in a fire-proof document safe. Consider purchasing a home safe or renting a safe deposit box. A sampling of some essential items in your financial disaster recovery kit: birth certificates, marriage license/divorce papers and child custody papers, social security cards, passports and driver’s licenses, military/veteran papers, cash, credit card numbers, insurance policies, a list of names, phone numbers, and email addresses of critical personal and business contacts, wills or trust documents, bank statements, etc.

For more information on making your homes safer in earthquakes go to:  http://beready.utah.gov/. 

Last Updated ( Sunday, 21 February 2010 )
 
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