Davis County in Utah has an area of 634 square miles. It is the smallest county in the state in terms of land area and lies between the Great Salt Lake to its west and the Wasatch Range to its east. The Great Salt Lake, which is surrounded by mudflats and marshlands, has an elevation of 4,000 feet. The lake is shallow and gets water deposits from rainfall and snowmelt in the mountains. The largest island in the Great Salt Lake, Antelope Island, is part of Davis County.
Davis County’s proximity to the Great Salt Lake makes almost the entire area flood-prone. Whenever the lake increases its water level, you can expect floods in the low-lying areas of the county. This prompted the Utah Geological Survey to issue a warning to different cities in the county, advising them to construct public buildings in locations that are higher than the highest lake levels that have been historically recorded.
Another problem facing the county is that the Wasatch Range to the east presents debris-flow hazards to the communities on the slopes. The Centerville Canyon and the Parrish Creek have large volumes of accumulated sediment. The sediment could be released downhill when triggered, affecting Davis County.
Davis County also lies on earthquake faults, including the Wasatch Fault. In Utah, movements along the fault lines are vertical, with the mountain blocks moving upward relative to the downward movement of the valley block, like the Salt Lake Valley. The faults are likely to generate earthquakes in the future, which may result in surface fault rupture. The impending rupture, which may cause earthquakes of a 6.5 magnitude or higher, may deform the soil surface, affecting all the houses and buildings in the area.
Davis County, beautiful and serene as it is today, faces significant risks. Nobody knows when a disaster will occur, but readiness is the best defense. Residents must be prepared for any emergency, including the cleanup and rebuilding that will follow. The Disaster Company has professional technicians ready to lend a compassionate hand with post-catastrophe services, including Davis County natural disaster cleanup.
