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New Release: Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country, 2nd Edition

Structural damage to a building in downtown Magna caused by the 2020 M5.7 Magna earthquake. The unreinforced masonry, or brick, on the front of the building failed due to strong ground shaking.

When the ground starts shaking from an earthquake, do you know what to do? Do you know why we have earthquakes in Utah, how we monitor them, and how we mediate their effects? The Utah Seismic Safety Commission (USSC; ussc.utah.gov) recently released the second edition of the booklet, Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country—Your Handbook for Earthquakes in Utah (a.k.a. “Roots”) to help Utahns understand earthquake hazards, and prepare their family, friends, and community for a disaster. This booklet reminds Utahns that a major earthquake does not have to ruin life as we know it—we can take steps as individuals, families, and entire communities to be ready. 

The second edition of Roots is available as a print copy for free at the Natural Resources Map & Bookstore, 1594 West North Temple, Salt Lake City, (801) 537-3320, or 1-888-UTAHMAP, and online as a PDF document at: https://earthquakes.utah.gov/putting-down-roots/. Copies will be distributed among agencies of the Utah Seismic Safety Commission, including the Division of Emergency Management and the University of Utah Seismograph Stations. To request multiple copies of “Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country” for your agency, organization, or community, please fill out this form.

Visit earthquakes.utah.gov for any additional questions or information about earthquake hazards in Utah.