Intermountain Seismic Belt Historical Earthquake Project
September 5, 1962 – Magna, UT – M 5.2
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake occurred in Magna, Utah, on Wednesday, September 5, 1962 at 9:04 a.m.
The earthquake was felt from the Ogden, Utah area in the north, down to the Provo/Spanish Fork, Utah area in the south. Widespread structural damage occurred in the Salt Lake Valley, particularly in the northwest.
Structural damage included: shattered windows, collapsed walls or ceilings, cracked foundations, cracked and falling plaster, fallen chimneys, homes shifted on foundations, and dislodged parapet walls. Cracks appeared in houses and buildings throughout the Valley. In downtown Salt Lake City, building damage was mostly limited to cracks in plaster.
Non-structural damage was also widespread and varied: overturned aquariums, store goods fallen from shelves, broken dishes and so forth. There were many reports of stopped clocks.
A number of schools were closed temporarily due to building damage or until inspections could be completed.
Water lines, gas lines and electrical service were not interrupted. One high-pressure gas leak in Davis County, Utah, was repaired after several hours. Telephones remained in service, however, circuits were jammed by calls—some for several hours. There were no reports of damage to roads or rail lines.
No deaths or serious injuries were reported for this earthquake. One person suffered a broken leg after falling on a floor made slippery by contents from broken bottles. Another person sustained a hip injury from slipping as she tried rush from a building.
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