An earthquake of magnitude 5.7 was recorded Wednesday morning on the outskirts of Salt Lake City.
The quake, at 7:09 a.m. Mountain time, was centered 10 miles west of Salt Lake’s downtown, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
It was followed by 12 smaller quakes, ranging from 2.5 to 3.9, within 30 minutes.
More than 47,000 customers were without power after the quake, Rocky Mountain Power’s website reported.
Salt Lake City International Airport, 4 miles from the epicenter, was under a ground stop, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Flights to Salt Lake that were not in the air at the time of the quake are being delayed at airports around the country.
There were no immediate reports of major damage, but the state’s governor, Gary Herbert, tweeted: “Please stay away from the downtown area while crews assess damage, Unless you work in public safety, or are an essential employee, remain at home or telework.”
By 8 a.m., more than 15,000 people had gone to the USGS Did You Feel It website to report feeling the largest quake. Most of those within 15 miles described the shaking as moderate or strong — 5 or 6 on a scale of 10.
Almost all the reports came from within 30 miles of the epicenter. Beyond the Salt Lake metro area, the region — northern Utah, southeast Idaho, Wyoming’s southwest corner — is sparsely populated.
It was the largest quake in the contiguous United States since the 7.1 quake near Ridgecrest, California, on July 6, 2019, and the largest in Utah since a 5.9 near St. George in 1992.
In Utah, earthquakes greater than magnitude 5 generally occur once every 10 years, and quakes greater than magnitude 6 happen once every 50 years, the USGS said.
— CNN contributed to this report