Utah’s natural climate and geography put it at a high risk of a major disaster disrupting the state’s economy and impacting the lives of millions. In fact, the Wasatch Fault has a 43% chance of experiencing a 6.75 or greater magnitude earthquake in the next 50 years, and experts project that such an event would be among the deadliest disasters in U.S. history. A major earthquake on the Wasatch Front would also leave hundreds of thousands of Utahns without shelter while interrupting power, water, sewer, and road service for most of the population—potentially for months.

Envision Utah, recognizing the gaps in resiliency, launched a disaster effort in 2020 to convene key stakeholders and determine the best strategies to improve Utah’s resiliency. During this effort, Envision Utah partnered with the Utah Seismic Safety Commission to present seismic recommendations during the 2022 Legislative Session to address the most urgent vulnerabilities.

During the APA Utah Spring Conference Session, Ryan Beck from Envision Utah will present the seismic risk and resiliency gaps in the Wasatch Front, an overview of the Envision Utah stakeholder process, legislative recommendations, and next steps to continue to improve resiliency in Utah.

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