3.4 earthquake shakes south-central Utah

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ST. GEORGE — Tremors from a 3.4 magnitude earthquake Saturday night near the Sevier Plateau were reportedly felt by residents of a few towns in south-central Utah.

Map showing the area affected by a 3.4 magnitude earthquake that struck south central Utah, Sept. 23, 2017 | Image courtesy U.S. Geological Survey, St. George News | Click image to enlarge

The earthquake struck at approximately 10:38 p.m. about 4 miles southeast of Monroe.

Dozens of people reported feeling the quake in Monroe and the surrounding communities of Richfield and Joseph, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

Measurements of the quake show the shaking wasn’t strong enough to have caused damage but strong enough for someone to feel light movement.

Seismic activity and earthquakes are not uncommon in Utah; the USGS reported about 20 incidents of seismic activity in the state in the last three weeks.

The USGS recommends the following in case of a severe earthquake:

  • If you are indoors, stay there. Get under a desk or table and hang on to it (drop, cover and hold on) or move into a hallway or against an inside wall. Stay clear of windows, fireplaces and heavy furniture or appliances. Get out of the kitchen, which is a dangerous place (things can fall on you). Don’t run downstairs or rush outside while the building is shaking or while there is danger of falling and hurting yourself or being hit by falling glass or debris.
  • If you are outside get into the open, away from buildings, power lines, chimneys and anything else that might fall on you.
  • If you are driving, stop carefully. Move your car as far out of traffic as possible. Do not stop on or under a bridge or overpass or under trees, light posts, power lines or signs. Stay inside your car until the shaking stops. When you resume driving, watch for breaks in the pavement, fallen rocks and bumps in the road at bridge approaches.
  • If you are in a mountainous area, watch out for falling rock, landslides, trees and other debris that could be loosened by quakes.

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.

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