Earthquake felt by thousands serves as reminder to prepare for the big one

SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) — A 3.9 magnitude earthquake rattled things up in Wasatch and Utah counties last night, and more than 3,000 reported feeling it to the United States Geological Survey. One geologist told ABC4 that this is a good reminder that Utah is earthquake country, and it’s always a good time to prepare for the next big one.   

“This is a reminder that the entire state of Utah has all these little faults that are ready to host earthquakes,” Rodriguez stated. “It doesn’t need to be the Wasatch or the east or west Cache faults. It can be a smaller fault that’s just not mapped… so, you’ve just got to be prepared, always.” 

An interactive map on the U.S. Geological Survey’s website shows that the earthquake happened in Wasatch County, near Independence. This means it happened on the Wasatch Back and was not caused by the state’s largest fault, the Wasatch Fault.  

The map also shows that people felt the quake as far north as Ogden and as far south as Spanish Fork. It reveals that, along with major faults, there are dozens of small ones spread out across the state.  

Heber City is about 14 miles from the earthquake — close enough for people to feel it.  

“I sat up,” Hannah Cowan told ABC4. She had just put her baby down and gone to bed herself.

“I heard my plants and books rattling. I sat up and woke my husband up because he wasn’t feeling it. It shook for just a few seconds and then stopped.”  

After waking her husband up, her mind turned to her child. 

“I was like, ‘I don’t know if I trust some of those pictures on the wall,’” she said. “I made him go take down some of the pictures in my daughter’s room that were near her bed in case there were any aftershocks. We didn’t feel any throughout the night.”

She later joked and, through a laugh, added, “My Command Strips held up.” 

For those who have watched any natural disaster movie, earthquakes often come in waves and grow in magnitude. However, movies are often based more on fiction than reality. Earthquakes are often followed by aftershocks (smaller earthquakes). Rodriguez explained that the probability of a larger earthquake following the mainshock is only about five percent.  

The trembling felt by many, Dr. Rodriguez said, is a good reminder to be ready for the next big earthquake.

“Things like having water, a radio, headlamp prepared at home,” she stated. “We call it an earthquake kit. In case there is damage and, for example, we lose power for a few days.”

She said if a person experiences an earthquake and is inside, they should drop, cover, and hold onto something. She said they can’t predict how big an earthquake will be, so it is best to be on the cautious side.  

A couple of researchers Dr. Rodriguez works with recently published some of their work looking at the history of earthworks along the Wasatch Fault to get a better idea of what the future could hold. More information on that can be found here.