Are You Ready? Let’s Get Prepared Together
September is National Preparedness Month, and it's a great reminder that emergency readiness starts with YOU—your home, your workplace, and your community. Emergencies can strike without warning, and your personal preparedness today can make a life-saving difference tomorrow. It’s also a great time to check your emergency kits at home, in your car, and at work. Be sure to replace expired food, water, and batteries, and update important documents and contact information.
But remember: readiness is more than just being prepared at home. As a general rule-of-thumb, when an emergency occurs:
- You have a 50% chance of being home
- A 25% chance of being at work
- And a 25% chance of being somewhere else
South Jordan is a Beautiful City with Real Risks
Our city is vibrant and growing, but like any city, it’s not immune to disasters. Whether caused by nature or by human action, emergencies are possible here. Here's a look at the potential hazards in South Jordan:
Natural Hazards | Human-caused/ Technological Hazards |
|---|
- Earthquakes
- Floods
- Wildfires
- Drought
- Tornadoes
- Winter storms
- Thunderstorms
- Heat waves
- Severe weather
- High winds/microbursts
- Pandemic/epidemic
| - Hazardous material spills
- Power outages
- Cyberattacks
- Dam failure
- Civil disturbances
- Aircraft incidents
- Terrorism or criminal acts
|
So…What Will the City Do for Me in a Disaster?
In the event of a catastrophic disaster, South Jordan City will work to restore critical infrastructure like water, roads, public safety, and sanitation that you rely on every day. However, the City’s resources will be limited and focused on the greatest need. Here are some numbers and stats that help illustrate that point.
What our city looks like by the numbers:
- Population: 89,963 (as of July 1, 2025)
- Size: 25.8 square miles
- Residential Homes: 24,306
- Businesses: 1,389 (+471 home-based)
- Schools: 15 public, 9 private/charter
- Hospitals/Clinics: 2 medical centers (U of U SJ Health Center, SJ VA Clinic)
- City Buildings: 12 municipal buildings
That’s a lot of ground to cover. In a large emergency event, South Jordan’s four fire stations and full police force would be ready to respond. The City also has more than fifty public works staff who would begin emergency care of the 425 miles of water main lines, 416 miles of streets, and 267 miles of storm drain infrastructure throughout the city. But we can’t be everywhere at once.
In Short: We’re Ready to Help, But We Need You Too
With over 89,000 residents, thousands of homes and businesses, and a limited number of emergency staff, it may take time for help to reach everyone in a widespread disaster.
That’s why personal preparedness is vital. And even more important is community preparedness, which includes helping your neighbors and especially seniors, people with disabilities, those who live alone, and families with young children.
In the critical first hours and days after a disaster, your neighbors may be your most immediate source of help. The stronger our community ties, the more resilient we all are.
Together, we can build a safer, stronger, more resilient South Jordan. When disaster strikes, we rise by lifting each other. Let’s make this September the month we get ready, not just for ourselves, but for those around us.
What You Can Do Today:
- Build or refresh your emergency kit (home, car, work)
- Make a plan for communication and reunification
- Store water (1 gallon per person /////per day for 96 hours or more)
- Learn basic first aid and CPR
- Get to know your neighbors
- Sign up for City of South Jordan alerts and follow us on social media
- Practice a family or neighborhood disaster drill