Utah earthquake: 5.7 magnitude earthquake hits, Utah since a 5.9 magnitude quake hit the state in 1992
A 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook Utah's Salt Lake City area Wednesday morning, cutting power to tens of thousands and suspending work at the state's public health lab amid the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. the U.S. Geological Survey said, knocking out power and rattling residents already shaken up by the coronavirus pandemic.
Flights to Salt Lake International Airport were being diverted, departures were postponed, and terminals and concourses were evacuated so engineers could inspect the facilities, the airport said. About 73,000 homes and businesses lost electricity in the Salt Lake City Area, utility Rocky Mountain Power said, but power was being quickly restored in some areas.
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The quake was centered about 10 miles west of Salt Lake City and near the city of Magna, starting at 7:09 a.m. MT, the US Geological Survey said. Some people ran from their homes and into the streets as dishes fell from shelves and pictures from walls. Operations at Salt Lake City International Airport stopped, and the control tower and concourses were evacuated, the airport tweeted. The airport was expected to reopen later Wednesday.
The quake also shut down the light rail service for Salt Lake City and its suburbs. eople in downtown Salt Lake City left buildings and gathered outside after the quake, talking about the shaking. People in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada reported feeling the quake.
In downtown Salt Lake City, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ iconic Salt Lake Temple sustained minor damage. Gov. Gary Herbert warned people to stay away from downtown Salt Lake City while crews checked for further damage.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, Utah Emergency Management spokesman Joe Dougherty said. "It didn't feel like a small earthquake at all. I heard things in my kitchen falling," Michael McCarlie, who lives in an apartment at the City Creek Landing development in the capital, told KSL.
This is the state's most powerful quake since 1992, when a magnitude 5.9 temblor struck the St. George area, Utah's Division of Emergency Management said.
The quake's epicenter was located near Magna, Utah, which is just southwest of Salt Lake City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Operations at the state's public health laboratory were halted as the building is assessed for damage, the state Department of Health said. The earthquake hit a little after 7 a.m. local time. An estimated 2.76 million people likely felt the quake, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Most residents felt their homes shaking for 10 to 15 seconds.
The state's coronavirus hotline, which residents may call to request tests and seek information, was down after the quake, Gov. Gary Herbert said on Twitter -- though the health department said a temporary information line was available.
It was the largest earthquake in Utah since a 5.9 magnitude quake hit the state in 1992, Utah Emergency Management said.
New father Ryan Jensen, whose baby was born Wednesday morning at Altaview Hospital in West Jordan, Utah, told USA TODAY via text that the "hospital was rocking. Man oh man as if being born in a pandemic wasn’t enough, man that was nerve rattling."
Janis Ferre of Salt Lake City wrote on Facebook: “It sounded as though our house was stretching,” the Salt Lake City Tribune reported.
Added Holladay resident John E. Henderson: “It felt like somebody picked up my house and dropped it,” the Tribune said.
More than 47,000 customers in the area were without power about an hour after the quake, A website reported.
"Please stay away from the downtown area while crews assess damage," Herbert said. "Unless you work in public safety, or are an essential employee, remain at home or telework."
The U.S. Geological Survey said that in general, magnitude 5 or larger earthquakes occur at an average rate of about one every 10 years in this area.
Magnitude 6 or larger earthquakes occur about every 50 years in this area.
A 5.7 magnitude earthquake shook Utah's Salt Lake City area Wednesday morning, cutting power to tens of thousands and suspending work at the state's public health lab amid the coronavirus pandemic, officials said. the U.S. Geological Survey said, knocking out power and rattling residents already shaken up by the coronavirus pandemic.
Flights to Salt Lake International Airport were being diverted, departures were postponed, and terminals and concourses were evacuated so engineers could inspect the facilities, the airport said. About 73,000 homes and businesses lost electricity in the Salt Lake City Area, utility Rocky Mountain Power said, but power was being quickly restored in some areas.
The quake was centered about 10 miles west of Salt Lake City and near the city of Magna, starting at 7:09 a.m. MT, the US Geological Survey said. Some people ran from their homes and into the streets as dishes fell from shelves and pictures from walls. Operations at Salt Lake City International Airport stopped, and the control tower and concourses were evacuated, the airport tweeted. The airport was expected to reopen later Wednesday.
The quake also shut down the light rail service for Salt Lake City and its suburbs. eople in downtown Salt Lake City left buildings and gathered outside after the quake, talking about the shaking. People in Colorado, Idaho, Wyoming and Nevada reported feeling the quake.
In downtown Salt Lake City, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ iconic Salt Lake Temple sustained minor damage. Gov. Gary Herbert warned people to stay away from downtown Salt Lake City while crews checked for further damage.
There were no immediate reports of injuries, Utah Emergency Management spokesman Joe Dougherty said. "It didn't feel like a small earthquake at all. I heard things in my kitchen falling," Michael McCarlie, who lives in an apartment at the City Creek Landing development in the capital, told KSL.
This is the state's most powerful quake since 1992, when a magnitude 5.9 temblor struck the St. George area, Utah's Division of Emergency Management said.
The quake's epicenter was located near Magna, Utah, which is just southwest of Salt Lake City, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Operations at the state's public health laboratory were halted as the building is assessed for damage, the state Department of Health said. The earthquake hit a little after 7 a.m. local time. An estimated 2.76 million people likely felt the quake, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Most residents felt their homes shaking for 10 to 15 seconds.
The state's coronavirus hotline, which residents may call to request tests and seek information, was down after the quake, Gov. Gary Herbert said on Twitter -- though the health department said a temporary information line was available.
It was the largest earthquake in Utah since a 5.9 magnitude quake hit the state in 1992, Utah Emergency Management said.
New father Ryan Jensen, whose baby was born Wednesday morning at Altaview Hospital in West Jordan, Utah, told USA TODAY via text that the "hospital was rocking. Man oh man as if being born in a pandemic wasn’t enough, man that was nerve rattling."
Janis Ferre of Salt Lake City wrote on Facebook: “It sounded as though our house was stretching,” the Salt Lake City Tribune reported.
Added Holladay resident John E. Henderson: “It felt like somebody picked up my house and dropped it,” the Tribune said.
More than 47,000 customers in the area were without power about an hour after the quake, A website reported.
"Please stay away from the downtown area while crews assess damage," Herbert said. "Unless you work in public safety, or are an essential employee, remain at home or telework."
The U.S. Geological Survey said that in general, magnitude 5 or larger earthquakes occur at an average rate of about one every 10 years in this area.
Magnitude 6 or larger earthquakes occur about every 50 years in this area.
