5.7 magnitude earthquake strikes Salt Lake City – the biggest to hit in 28 YEARS
- Epicenter was just southwest of Salt Lake City and estimated 2.76million residents likely felt the quake
- US Geological Survey reported earthquake hit at 7.09am just north of Magna, a township in Salt Lake County
- There were no reports of injuries or significant property damage, but the temblor knocked power to nearly 65,000 homes and businesses
- This is Utah’s most powerful earthquake since 1992, when a magnitude 5.9 quake rattled St. George area
A 5.7-magnitude earthquake shook the Salt Lake City area early Wednesday, knocking out power to some homes and bringing the light rail system to a halt.
The epicenter was just southwest of Salt Lake City and an estimated 2.76million residents likely felt the quake, the US Geological Survey reported.
Most residents felt their homes shaking for 10 to 15 seconds.
There were no reports of injuries or significant property damage, but the temblor knocked power to nearly 65,000 homes and businesses.
Earthquake: This map from the US Geological Survey shows the location of a 5.7-magnitude earthquake that struck this morning near Salt Lake City
A Twitter user shared a video showing the chandelier in his dining room swinging to and fro during the seismic event. ‘Just felt my first earthquake,’ Dave Noriega wrote. ‘That was crazy’
The USGS reported said the earthquake hit at 7.09am about 2.5 miles north of Magna, a township in Salt Lake County located about 10 miles away from Salt Lake City, at a depth of 6 miles.
‘From what we have been able to determine, it doesn’t appear this was major shaking,’ Utah’s Division of Emergency Management tweeted after the seismological event.
At least six aftershocks were recorded in the immediate aftermath of the main quake, and more were expected throughout the day.
Utah Emergency Management shared this map indicating that the stronger shaking was felt in and around Magna, Utah, with less intense shaking radiating outward
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall addressed the earthquake in a morning tweet
Area residents have been sharing videos on Twitter showing the impact of the temblor.
One recording shows a child having breakfast in her high chair when the quake strikes, visibly shaking the room.
‘Oh, my gosh!’ her mother exclaims in the background as the girl pauses her meal with a frightened look on her face.
Another Twitter user shared a video showing the chandelier in his dining room swinging to and fro during the seismic event.
‘Just felt my first earthquake,’ Dave Noriega wrote. ‘That was crazy.’
A Utah mom videotaping her daughter over breakfast captured the earthquake in real time. The clip shows the room shaking and her child looking frightened
This is Utah’s most powerful earthquake since 1992, when a magnitude 5.9 quake rattled the area of St. George.
Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall addressed the earthquake in a morning tweet, writing: ‘I know the last thing we need right now is an earthquake, but here we are, and it sounds like aftershocks are likely.’
Utah Gov. Gary Herbert urged residents to stay away from downtown Salt Lake City while work crews assessed the damage from the quake.
Amid the coronavirus outbreak, the governor reminded people to stay home or telecommute, unless they are essential employees, or work in public safety.
As of Wednesday morning, there were 51 confirmed cases of the deadly COVID-19 virus in Utah, and 6,578 cases nationwide.