5.7-magnitude quake, swarm of aftershocks strike Utah near Salt Lake City, USGS reports
A 5.7-magnitude earthquake shook Salt Lake City on Wednesday morning, followed by swarms of aftershocks, the U.S. Geological Survey reports.
The 6-mile deep quake hit near Magna, just west of Salt Lake City, at 6:09 a.m. Pacific time, according to the USGS. Dozens of people from as far away as Idaho and California reported feeling the tremor to the agency.
At least 10 aftershocks, reaching up to 3.9 magnitude, followed in the minutes after the earthquake, the USGS reported.
No serious injuries have been reported but some people were treated for minor injuries at local hospitals, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. The quake damaged some downtown buildings, including the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Passenger flights at Salt Lake International Airport have been grounded, according to the publication.
Power has been knocked out in some areas, ABC News reported. The Utah Transit Authority has stopped some commuter train service.
“I know the last thing we need right now is an earthquake, but here we are, and it sounds like aftershocks are likely,” wrote Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall on Twitter. “The city is assessing the situation now and I’ll circle back with an update when I have it. Be safe.”
In another Twitter post, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert asked residents to avoid downtown Salt Lake City while officials assess any damage.
“It didn’t feel like a small earthquake at all. I heard things in my kitchen falling,” said Michael McCarlie of Salt Lake City, Deseret News reported.
”Things were falling off the walls,” said Azur Timmerman, according to the publication. “Our family photos and porcelain statues on shelves all got knocked off the walls and broke on the tile floor.”
“Just shaken out of sound sleep by 5.7 earthquake in Salt Lake City. We are all safe. Please Pray for no further aftershocks. Please pray for all of us,” wrote ESPN reporter Holly Rowe on Twitter following the quake.
The Wednesday quake was the largest in Utah since a 5.9-magnitude temblor struck near St. George in 1992, Utah Emergency Management reported on Twitter.
Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says. It replaces the old Richter scale.
Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech. Earthquakes between 5.5 and 6.0 magnitude may cause slight damage to buildings.
This story was originally published March 18, 2020 at 6:54 AM.