Month: December 2019

1962 – Cache Valley, UT – M 5.7

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Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project

August 30, 1962 – Cache Valley, UT – M 5.7

On Thursday, August 30, 1962 at 6:35 a.m., a magnitude 5.7 earthquake occurred at the Utah-Idaho border, north of Richmond, Utah. The earthquake was reported felt in six states: Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and Nevada.

There were no deaths or serious injuries reported for the earthquake. Severe property damage was reported in the Cache Valley, Utah cities of Richmond, Lewiston and Logan. There were few damage reports outside of Cache Valley, with only minor damage reported at other nearby northern Utah and southern Idaho communities.

In Richmond, reported property damage included cracked and collapsed walls and roofs, roofs broken from falling masonry, broken chimneys, cracked and fallen plaster, and broken windows. One report noted that approximately 75 percent of homes in the city received some damage. Some of these homes required repairs before being inhabitable. Others were damaged so severely they had to be razed. The Benson Stake LDS Tabernacle was damaged severely and was later torn down. North Cache High School was damaged so badly the school had to be closed for repairs.

There were also many homes damaged in the areas of Lewiston, Cornish and Trenton, Utah. Some of the damage in Lewiston included cracked walls, broken windows and roofs damaged from fallen concrete and ornamental brickwork.

In Logan, the earthquake damaged waterlines and disrupted communication lines. A power failure forced the Logan LDS Hospital and police station onto auxiliary power. Service was restored at 9:20 a.m.

Buildings in Logan suffered damage that included cracked walls, collapsed rooms, broken windows, plaster jarred loose, weakened roofs, and entire walls knocked out of plumb or partially off foundations.

Reports from these Cache Valley cities noted that decorative parapet walls on rooftops were hardest hit with many locations where masonry and broken glass fell onto city sidewalks.

A rockslide in Logan Canyon covered Highway 89 in tons of debris. In Cherry Creek Canyon east of Richmond, a large cloud of dust was observed, resulting from a massive earthquake-induced landslide.

Some farmers in upper Cache Valley observed good streams of water flowing in previously dry wells. Some reported that the earthquake appeared to upset both farm livestock and wildlife.



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1949 – Salt Lake City, UT – M 5.0

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Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project

March 6, 1949 – Salt Lake City, UT – M 5.0

Salt Lake City, Utah, experienced a magnitude 5.0 earthquake at 11:50 p.m. on Sunday, March 6, 1949. Some felt reports were received from south Davis County, Utah, but most were isolated to the Salt Lake County.

In Salt Lake County, buildings swayed. Floors and stairs made creaking sounds. At the county jail, iron bars and gates rattled.

Switchboards were flooded with calls. The Salt Lake Tribune reported taking 350 telephone queries in the first 30 minutes of the earthquake.

The shaking awakened some people. Guests on the upper floors of the Hotel Utah and the Newhouse Hotel in downtown Salt Lake City distinctly felt the earthquake, but were not panicked. Startled patrons at Utah Theater and Capitol Theater, walked out of the buildings without alarm. Some people were concerned about aftershocks and preferred to sleep outside.

The earthquake broke a 10-inch city water line, but no other damage to public utilities was reported. Minor damage to one house occurred, as well as a cracked wall in at least one business building. Some windows were broken and at least one chimney was downed. Additional minor damage included a mirror and broken dishes.

No serious property damage and no injuries were reported from this earthquake.



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1909 – Hansel Valley, UT – M 6 ±

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Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project

October 5, 1909 – Hansel Valley, UT – M 6 ±

A magnitude 6 ± earthquake occurred at 7:50 p.m. on October 5, 1909, approximately 25 miles west of Garland, Utah. Shaking from the earthquake was felt over an area of approximately 30,116 mi2 (78,000 km2), extending from southern Idaho to northern Utah County, Utah.

Reports from Preston and Dayton, Idaho noted that the earthquake was accompanied by a distinct rumbling noise. There were reports of considerable damage in Malad, Idaho, though the type and extent of damage were not noted.

In Plymouth, Utah, the shaking frightened people and caused birds to fly from trees. At Duckville, Utah, and other locations in Bear River Valley, Utah, several chimneys were shaken down.

Shaking was felt in some areas of Cache County, Utah, terrifying people, causing some to flee from buildings and causing some to be nauseated. Dishes rattled, water was sloshed from washbasins, and wall hangings were shaken. Windows were broken, but most damage was minor. Lights went out temporarily in Logan, Utah.

The earthquake was strongly felt in Ogden, Utah. In some locations the shaking caused generators and power lines to shut down temporarily. Ogden and other locations in Weber County, Utah, reported that the shaking rattled windows and shook items from shelves. In Ogden, dishes were knocked to the floor, pictures swayed on walls and furniture was moved. The shaking was felt distinctly in upper floors of buildings.

Passengers riding on trains from Brigham City, Utah, to Salt Lake City, Utah, at the time of the earthquake reported feeling the undulations of the earth.

At Saltair Resort on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake, Utah, the resort building swayed and waves of water began rolling over the bathhouse pier. Targets at the shooting range swung back and forth.

Reports from Salt Lake City, Utah, noted that people felt the floors of their houses shift below their feet. Some people fled from buildings. People on streets had trouble walking and experienced nausea. Walls and windows were cracked. Hanging lights swung back and forth, wall pictures were shaken to the floor, dishes rattled and items were shaken from shelves. Shaking was more pronounced in higher stories of buildings. In some areas, electricity was out for several minutes. Telephone operators reported peculiar crackling of telephone wires.

No serious damage was reported and no injuries or deaths were reported for this earthquake.



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1910 – Elsinore, UT – M 5.0

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Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project

January 10, 1910 – Elsinore, UT – M 5.0

In Elsinore, Utah, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurred on Monday, January 10, 1910, at 6:00 a.m. Newspaper reports indicated that shaking was felt in the local area for several days.

In Elsinore, the shaking was so severe that children at the local schoolhouse were panic-stricken and school was dismissed. Chimneys were shaken down and goods on store shelves were destroyed. Some people were so alarmed that they evacuated the city. At Lea, Utah, the severe shaking broke windows. And it was reported that considerable damage resulted from the repeated shaking. In Richfield, Utah, it was reported that every house was shaken, but no serious damage to buildings occurred. The shaking displaced dishes and furniture and awakened people. The earthquake was also reported felt in Marysvale, Utah.

One expert believed that while the shaking was severe locally, it was not severe enough to be felt for any distance.



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1884 – Bear Lake, ID – M 6.3

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November 10, 1884 – Bear Lake, ID – M 6.3

On Monday, November 10, 1884, at 1:50 a.m., a magnitude 6.3 earthquake occurred on the east shore of Bear Lake, Idaho, near the Idaho-Utah border, approximately 10 miles southeast of Saint Charles, Idaho.

A report indicated that the earthquake was felt by people throughout the Bear Lake Valley. Felt reports were received from individuals in the Idaho cities of Paris, Montpelier, Soda Springs and Pocatello. Reports were also received from Evanston, Wyoming and the Utah cities of Blaine, Brigham City, Logan, Ogden and Salt Lake City.

It was reported that much damage was done to houses in Paris, Idaho, including cracked walls. The shaking rattled dishes and threw some unsecured items from shelves. Some people reported feeling seasick. People in Montpelier, Idaho, reported hearing a rumbling noise and rattling windows. Houses were shaken and items were thrown from shelves.

In Ogden, Utah, the shaking rattled windows and furniture and awakened people, but no serious damage was done. A report from Brigham City, Utah, noted that people were awakened, beds were shaken and items were shaken from tables. In Salt Lake City, Utah, it was reported that the earthquake was accompanied by a low rumbling sound. Windows, lamps, beds and other furniture were shaken. The shaking awakened some people.



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1989 – So. Wasatch Plateau, UT – M 5.4

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Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project

January 29, 1989 – So. Wasatch Plateau, UT – M 5.4

A magnitude 5.4 earthquake struck the southern Wasatch Plateau approximately 15 miles east southeast of Salina, Sevier County, Utah, at 9:06 p.m. on Sunday, January 29, 1989.

The felt area for the earthquake was 148,000 square kilometers (~57,143 square miles) and extended from northeastern Utah to southwestern Wyoming, western Colorado and northern Arizona.

In Sevier County, Utah, buildings were shaken strongly enough for pictures to come off walls. Minor structural damage was reported. Some telephone service was interrupted in Carbon and Millard Counties. A power plant in Millard County was shut down for short time and another in Emery County had service interrupted briefly.

Officials inspected roads, dams and railways in the areas surrounding the epicenter, but no damage was reported. Interstate 70 was temporarily closed due to a rockslide in Salina Canyon, but was quickly cleared and re-opened.

Calls flooded into Salt Lake Valley and Utah County police agencies reporting shaken homes, swaying light fixtures and moving furniture. One individual in Provo said she was knocked to the floor from the force of the shaking.

No significant damage or injuries were reported for this earthquake.



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1961 – Ephraim, UT – M 5.0

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Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project

April 15, 1961 – Ephraim, UT – M 5.0

A magnitude 5.0 earthquake occurred near Ephraim, Utah at 11:02 p.m. on Saturday, April 15, 1961.

The shaking was most intense at Ephraim and Spring City, Utah. In Ephraim, dishes rattled and light fixtures began to swing. Some buildings sustained cracked walls and bricks were shaken from chimneys. Late night theatergoers at one establishment hurriedly left the building as the earthquake occurred. Reportedly, the greatest damage was to people’s nerves, as they feared more shaking would occur.

Shaking was felt as far north as the towns of Fairview, Moroni, and Fountain Green, Utah and as far south as Manti, Utah.

One person living near Moroni said his dogs began barking, pheasants crowed and flying birds struck windows.

In Manti the shaking was strong enough to awaken some sleeping individuals. Light fixtures swayed and dishes were knocked from shelves. Goods were shaken from store shelves. There was plaster damage to at least one home. Another building sustained a cracked ceiling.

Many who felt the shaking thought their furnaces or water heaters had exploded.



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1914 – Ogden, UT – M 5½ ±

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Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project

May 13, 1914 – Ogden, UT – M 5½ ±

People from Collinston, Utah to Riverton, Utah were shaken as a magnitude 5½ ± earthquake struck Ogden, Utah at 10:15 a.m. on Wednesday, May 13, 1914.

In Ogden, shaken buildings sustained cracks and plaster damage to walls as well as downed chimneys. Various parts of the city reported cracked windowpanes.

In Farmington, Utah and Bountiful, Utah those in two-story buildings were frightened as dishes rattled and furniture moved.

In downtown Salt Lake City, Utah some workers in tall office buildings wondered if the shaking was due to an elevator that had dropped to the basement. Some frightened individuals hurried out of buildings. During a meeting at the Salt Lake City and County building, the chandelier overhead swayed and the table shook. Those in nearly all offices felt chairs shake and tables rock, however, those in hallways did not feel the shaking. In addition to the business district, south and southwest Salt Lake City felt strong shaking that caused dishes to fall to the floor.

No significant damage and no injuries were reported for this earthquake.



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1887 – Kanab, UT – M 5.7

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Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project

December 5, 1887 – Kanab, UT – M 5.7

On Monday, December 5, 1887 a magnitude 5.7 earthquake occurred in Kanab, Utah.

It was reported that dishes were shaken from cupboard shelves in several houses. Clocks stopped, and bricks fell from tops of chimneys and some cracks in houses were observed. The shaking frightened many people in the community. In some cases, people who were walking were thrown to the ground by the shaking.

One resident reported that a loud rumbling sound accompanied the shaking. His house shook, the clock stopped and the house door slammed shut. He discovered several cracks in the west wall of his house, one of which ran straight down through the rock foundation.

Tons of rock reportedly fell from nearby cliffs, raising clouds of dust.

No significant damage nor injuries were reported for this earthquake.



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1900 – Eureka, UT – M 5½ ±

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Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project

August 1, 1900 – Eureka, UT – M 5½ ±

In the town of Eureka, Utah, people were awakened at 12:45 a.m. on Wednesday, August 1, 1900, by shaking from a magnitude 5½ ± earthquake. Some frightened individuals ran out into the street in their robes and nightclothes. Some reported that the shaking moved furniture and shook dishes from shelves.

In the nearby Tintic mining district, it was reported that the shaking drove frightened workers from mines.

The earthquake was also felt in other central Utah towns. Many people in Santaquin were frightened out of bed and reported that beds shook, dishes rattled and goods were shaken from store shelves. In Payson, store windows were broken and dishes fell from cupboards. Some in the city of Provo were aroused from bed and reported that buildings shook and windows rattled. In Nephi, dishes were shaken from shelves. People in Goshen fled from houses.

Further north, the shaking was felt in Salt Lake City, Utah and at the Saltair resort on the south shore of the Great Salt Lake.

While this early morning earthquake frightened many people, no injuries were reported, nor were there reports of serious property damage.



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