DENVER—Most Coloradans are unprepared for an earthquake even though officials have spent years studying the consequences of a big one and have identified as many as 100 fault lines across the state, emergency planners say.
Earthquakes here are infrequent, and residents understandably are more concerned about wildfires and floods, said Anne Sheehan, a University of Colorado geological sciences professor.
“It’s not on their radar,'” Sheehan said.
Monday’s magnitude-5.3 quake in southern Colorado was the state’s largest since 1967. It caused minor damage and no injuries.
For years, a panel of experts has been meeting to analyze potential earthquake hazards and discuss mitigation, Sheehan said.
It’s called the Colorado Earthquake Hazard Mitigation Council, formed after the state disbanded a natural hazard mitigation council. Its 20-odd members include emergency responders, structural engineers, insurance industry representatives and geologists.
Dave Hard, director of the state Division of Emergency Management, says people should be prepared to take care of themselves for 72 hours after a major earthquake and have shelter, food and water on hand.
The state’s first priority will be restoring utilities, transport networks and other critical services, Hard said.
“For the first few days, it’s going to be a little rough,” he said.
Hard said a 6.0 earthquake near an urban area like downtown Denver would disrupt transportation and damage buildings. He said his agency trains every month for a disaster, including earthquakes, landslides, floods and wildfires. Every other month, the division trains with the Red Cross and volunteer rescue groups.
Rob Jackson, co-chair of the mitigation council, said most cities and towns have building codes that take earthquakes into account, but they set their own standards.
Jackson said a state building code applies only to schools and state buildings. Those codes are based on seismic hazard maps that predict ground shaking, not specific earthquake magnitudes, he said.
The council also is urging rural areas, including the San Luis Valley, to adopt similar codes, Jackson said.
The state has published recommendations urging residents to anchor appliances and tall, heavy furniture that could topple in a quake. It also recommends placing latches on cabinet doors to keep contents from falling out, and arranging a safe place to meet if homes are damaged or unreachable.
One of the worst things people can do is follow their first instinct and run outside into falling debris, Hard said.
“Duck and cover. Duck and cover,'” he said.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, an 1882 earthquake near what is now Rocky Mountain National Park is believed to have measured magnitude 6.6 and caused damage in Denver. An August 1967 quake centered near Commerce City caused more than $1 million in damage, according to the Colorado Geological Survey.
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Online:
Division of Emergency Management Earthquake Factsheet:
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