A year has passed since the Magna earthquake. Is Utah ready for the next stage?

It has been a year since a magnitude 5.7 earthquake shook the Salt Lake Valley. The center was at Magna, but was felt widely across the Wasatch Front and away from California.

It was also followed by approximately 2,600 aftershocks, including six aftershocks ranging in magnitude between 4.0 and 4.9.

The state estimate found there was more than $ 62 million in building-related damage, contributing $ 629 million in total economic losses related to buildings, not including damage to public infrastructure.

About three days after surveying the impact of the earthquake, he and his team identified damage to 145 historic buildings, said State Historic Preservation Officer Chris Merritt.

In Magna, which has seen the most damage, walls and some entire buildings have collapsed. In the warehouse district of Salt Lake City west of downtown, some of the largest brick buildings, such as the Crane Building just north of Pioneer Park, had massive structural cracks that ran nearly the entire height of the walls.

Merritt said the damage was not significant in the residential neighborhoods, though the risk could be greater. Chimneys in many old homes in the Liberty Wells neighborhood have collapsed, tearing roofs or landing on cars.

Chimney damage to an old building near downtown Salt Lake City.

Fortunately, no one was seriously injured and no major buildings had completely collapsed. Merritt attributes this in part to preparations made before the earthquake, including letters about natural disaster planning, building retrofits and rapid responses from first responders and other government agencies.

“The preparation has paid off,” he said. “But for me, it’s like shaking people up, and we need to keep going. We need to keep investing.”

Researchers estimate there is a roughly 50% chance that an earthquake of magnitude 7 or greater will hit the state in the next 50 years. Not only could this cause large building collapses, it could also cause serious injury and death.

Merritt said he is concerned not enough has been done since the Magna earthquake to ensure that old buildings, especially unreinforced building structures, will withstand the next major event.

A large part of the problem is due to the cost. He said a building retrofit could range from $ 10,000 to $ 1 million, depending on the scope of work and the size of the building. While there are tax grant and credit programs available, they are limited.

Except for investing thousands of dollars in building upgrades, there are smaller things people can do to prepare, said Steve Bowman, director of the Geological Hazards Program at the Utah Geological Survey. People have been advised to consult Be Ready Utah, which can help them come up with an emergency plan. He said it also helps to get to know the neighbors and plan ahead for them.

He said, “When you have one of these events affecting your area, you can really go through it together and you don’t have to do it all alone.”

He said that this kind of preparation would not only help during earthquakes, but any major disaster.

For more information on earthquake preparation, the Utah State Historic Preservation Office is hosting a virtual event on Thursday, 3/18/21 6 PM, available on Zoom or YouTube. Participants can register here.

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