In the late night and early hours of July 27 and 28, an earthquake struck southern Utah 24 km south of Brian Head and 29 km northwest of Cedar City, Utah according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The quake, rated at magnitude 4.5, was very noticeable, with reports coming in from all over southern Utah including Kane County and parts of Zion.
The quake could be felt all over southern Utah and further, with some reports coming in from cities in Nevada and Arizona. Photo courtesy of the U.S. Geological Survey.
The USGS showed over 3,000 responses on their “Did You Feel It?” report system, mostly in the Cedar City area, though responses from further away continued to come in hours after the quake occurred. Some responses came from as far as Page, Ariz., and Las Vegas, Nev. Though there were noticeable responses, the severity of the earthquake’s impact as rated by the USGS PAGER system was low, with most responses reporting no injuries or fatalities, and little property damage.
The region map of the USGS’ site shows Utah’s fault lines, and the state has a history of minor earthquakes - per the USGS and PAGER, most of Utah’s quakes are mild enough that they go undetected entirely.
The USGS’ report is still open for the quake for anyone seeking to report information on their whereabouts and the circumstances of the quake, and information is available on the USGS’ website earthquakes.usgs.gov, by clicking the “Latest earthquakes” link and finding Utah on the interactive map.
