By Chris Merritt, PhD, State Historic Preservation Officer, Utah State History & Steve Bowman, Geologic Hazards Program Manager, Utah Geologic Survey

In March 2020, the City of Magna and the Salt Lake Valley at large were rocked by an earthquake of historic magnitude. We were fortunate that nobody was seriously hurt. But some historic buildings suffered damage, threatening the character of several of our most beloved Utah places. The Utah State Historic Preservation Office wants to know: What lessons have we learned? How can we better prepare for future earthquakes? What resources are available for homeowners and other property owners?

Steve Bowman, Geologic Hazards Program Manager, Utah Geologic Survey, and Chris Merritt, Utah State Historic Preservation Officer, Utah Division of State History, shared pictures taken during last year’s earthquake and discuss steps taken to protect buildings and what we can do to protect ourselves in a bad quake.