Why are you still living in Salt Lake City? (Francis: insurance, houses)

[evilnewbie]

Its been widely publicized that a massive earthquake is coming to you and will pretty much destroy everything in the city. There is talk about the PERMANENT flooding from the lakes to most of the city. If the flooding is permanent, the city would be off to a slow death. To me, it seems, all the land and houses would be worthless as people eventually leave after the devastation. So why are you people still there?

[imbobbbb]

publicized where?first ive heard.of course its been widely publicized for years that the west coast is going to slide into the ocean but i dont see anyone rushing to abandon california.someday the super volcano under yellowstone park is going to erupt and make most of the land west of the mississipi uninhabitable,[may be a thousand years from now or may be 10] but i dont see any mass exodus.many doomsday scenerios are publicized from the ice caps flipping to meteors striking,to jesus returning,it seems to me this isnt a serious question.

[evilnewbie]

From what I understand there is a large fault that runs north and south through SLC. It has slipped several feet every 2k years and it has been about 2k years since the last slip. It is a vertical fault which means that large pieces of land will descend and the liquefaction of the some areas. As a result of all that movement, both lakes north and south will flood most of SLC, especially the downtown areas. California as I understand it is a horizontal fault which means that it moves sideways and are subject to shearing forces which is different then the Wasatch faults. As for your Yellowstone supervolcano, it exists but there is no extensive study on its mechanics and there are no predictions for its next eruption (if any). It is a given fact that the earthquake will strike Utah (not guesses, but stated fact) but only 5-20% chance each 50 years (we may outlive it and let the next generation deal with it I guess - but is that the responsible thing to do?). The Wasatch fault will create a sizeable earthquake but as I said it before it stretches a very large distance in Utah. Chances are more likely it will strike in SLC or another city (don't remember the name), but it is a large chance versus some other area (i.e. smaller towns in its path). I have attached some links about the faults and what is known about it. It seems to me it is risky, it may hit you guys (higher likelihood) versus somewhere else, and if it does hit, it will be a hard hit from what I understand. I understand that people (politicians and big companies) are actually retrofitting SLC buildings to be able to withstand a possible earthquake. I am surprised you don't know what your city is doing to prepare for an earthquake and the lack of information it is giving to its residents about this massive earthquake.


Wasatch Fault (http://geologyindy.byu.edu/faculty/rah/slides/Rock%20Canyon/Wasatch%20Fault/Wasatch%20Fault%20Home.htm - broken link)

Utah Braces for the Future

Deseret Morning News | It's 2008 — and 'the big one' slams Utah

EES - The Wasatch Front Earthquake Clock

Wasatch Fault, Little Cottonwood Stock, Utah

[imbobbbb]

the earthquake may happen next month or not for 200 years.it may not be as severe as predicted.why do people live along the atlantic and gulf coasts knowing that catastraphic hurricanes occur?or on the great plains knowing tornados will destroy some towns?i have heard about earthquake scenerios for many parts of the country,is any place truly safe from some sort of natural disaster?

[evilnewbie]

Well, I have been through several earthquakes in Seattle, hurricanes, floods, and mudslides in Virginia, and tornadoes in Kansas. I guess an earthquake in SLC is not that bad except the fault line is awfully close to all those expensive homes. Seems like poor judgment to build expensive structures on top of that fault line.

[Lindsey_Mcfarren]

"The sky is falling, the sky is falling!"

Ring any bells?

AND here I thought this was going to be another bash the Mormons thread.

[cottonwood2420]

Originally Posted by evilnewbie

Its been widely publicized that a massive earthquake is coming to you and will pretty much destroy everything in the city. There is talk about the PERMANENT flooding from the lakes to most of the city. If the flooding is permanent, the city would be off to a slow death. To me, it seems, all the land and houses would be worthless as people eventually leave after the devastation. So why are you people still there?

That is why several building's in downtown are currenly or already have been made earthquake proof.

[imbobbbb]

Originally Posted by evilnewbie

Well, I have been through several earthquakes in Seattle, hurricanes, floods, and mudslides in Virginia, and tornadoes in Kansas. I guess an earthquake in SLC is not that bad except the fault line is awfully close to all those expensive homes. Seems like poor judgment to build expensive structures on top of that fault line.

thats what insurance is for.....just like beachfront property,or homes built in heavily forested dry windy areas of the west

[Luke9686]

The reason people still live there is they like it. That is why 40 million people live in California. Here in the Bay Area alone there is about 10 faults. The San Andreas runs by San Jose and right through San Francisco. Plus the Hayward fault, which they say will produce a magnitude 7.8 in the next 20 or so years.

I think California is at a much larger risk for earthquakes. The damage here will be extensive if what they say about the Hayward fault comes to be... Thats the price you pay to live somewhere nice I guess.

[rsjmiller]

Flooding from the lakes? Do you know how deep the Great Salt Lake is? Not deep. It's rather pretty shallow and drying up more all the time.
Where in the United States are you safe from any natural disaster? I've pondered that myself. There is something threatening almost everywhere you could be.