Editor’s note: This article is part of a series that discusses the history of Utah and American history for the historical section of KSL.com.
SALT-MEERSTAD – When a 5.7 magnitude earthquake struck the Wasatch Front last year, it literally hit the heart of Utah’s history.
The quake caused so much damage that the 110-year-old Rio Grande Depot, home of the Utah State History Division and the state’s historic archives, was shut down because the building was considered unsafe. Even a year later, the building remains mostly closed due to the damage.
Nearly 150 historic buildings across Salt Lake County were damaged by the quake. Of those, only one was serious enough to be demolished, said Chris Merritt, Utah Historic Preservation Officer. But the earthquake was an important reminder that there are many historic structures and houses that are at high risk for the day that the next major earthquake hits the area.
That’s why conservation and geological experts gathered Thursday night to conduct a virtual conversation that recounts the damage of a year ago and discuss ways to ensure that the next major earthquake is not as devastating – or at least that it is not the worst scenario is not.
“We need to continue a conversation. “We have to have this conversation more than once a year,” Merritt said as he sat in his Rio Grande office. The wall behind him still has large visible cracks from the earthquake.
“We need to have a collaborative, united and strategic way to save as many of these buildings as possible to help private businesses and homeowners all find ways to preserve these really cool pieces of our past.”
The damage recorded a year ago
Following the March 18, 2020 earthquake, the Utah State Historic Preservation Office conducted surveys of historic buildings in the primary areas likely to be affected. This included areas such as Magna, near the epicenter of the quake, as well as Salt Lake City’s more historic buildings – such as the Hardew district and the Liberty Wells area.
The agency’s preliminary report, compiled within two weeks of the quake, identified nearly 145 buildings that were either designated or eligible for historical status that had been damaged by the quake. The list included some well-known structures in the province, such as Madeleine Cathedral, Crane Building, Fisher Manson, Rio Grande Depot, the Salt Lake City-County Building, the Salt Lake Temple, and St. Louis. Paul’s Episcopal Church.
The most common damage they encountered was to chimneys. Damage to an apartment complex they encountered in downtown Salt Lake City was so severe that they warned outside authorities about the security risk. Other common damages are cracks in brick or adobe structures. Some of the buildings that were hit the hardest also experienced roof collapses.
Only one recognized historical structure could not be saved. Damage to the Septimus Sears home in 1902 S. 400 East in Liberty Wells was so great that the homeowner decided to demolish it, Merritt said. The house was built in 1896 and is considered one of the oldest remaining houses in the area.
“This is the story I do not want,” he added. “I do not want to lose historical structures anymore.”
Ongoing risks for historic buildings
As great as the Magna earthquake was, a larger earthquake is expected to cause much worse damage.
A document produced by Envision Utah, for example, estimates that about 60,000 buildings in the four Wasatch Front counties would be destroyed in 7.0 or more earthquakes; about 95% of the structures were located in Salt Lake County. Another approximately 36,000 structures will cause major damage.
One of the main reasons why so many structures are at risk is that the great earthquake hazard was only known in the mid-1970s, Envision Utah pointed out. Many buildings for it were not built for earthquakes. Salt Lake County is more prone to major damage because it is more homes and businesses.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has issued a new report on the one-year anniversary of the earthquake. The report on Thursday stated that there are about 140,000 structures in the state that fit the risk of major damage due to an earthquake because the buildings “do not contain the reinforcing steel required by modern building codes.”
“It contains a wide range of buildings, from individual homes to businesses, schools and worship services,” the agency said in a statement. “Such structures can more easily succumb to the motion and tremor during an earthquake, posing a threat to residents as well as individuals outside in the vicinity of the structures.”
A damaging earthquake from the Wasatch Front fault zone would significantly affect the state, region and country years thereafter.
–Steve Bowman, geologist from the Utological Geological Survey
It is also critical infrastructure such as water, gas and petroleum pipes and broadband connection in the region. The projections call for billions of dollars in damage and even more economic losses.
“A damaging earthquake from the Wasatch Front fault zone would significantly affect the state, region, and country years thereafter,” said Steve Bowman, a geologist with the Geological Survey.
While speakers at the event on Thursday acknowledged the continuing risk of an enviable major earthquake, they also pointed out that there are ways to mitigate the effects of a catastrophic earthquake.
“One thing people really need to realize is that we can prepare for and face these dangers,” Bowman added. “We must not be afraid of them. We just have to recognize them, get together and deal with them.”
Find solutions to save historic buildings, including houses
Salt Lake City’s Fix the Bricks, which is in partnership with FEMA, is one of the best examples of recent programs aimed at adapting and rebuilding older homes, with the risk of damaging earthquakes. Experts have found that homes that underwent the program performed well even after the earthquake last year.
But it is also a relatively small local program with a growing waiting list. Greg Schultz, a municipal administrator of Magna, said it is a program that should not only be extended to other threatened communities, but also with more people to help more homes faster and to reduce the impact of the next major earthquake. . .
“We do not believe that FEMA knows how big Fix the Bricks should be in this state,” he argued. ‘I can tell you in Magna Main Street, I can not point to a building that does not need the charm of the fascia to prevent it from being damaged or destroyed during the next earthquake. The other challenge we have here is a significant amount of unarmed brick residences. ‘
Schultz said it is not just federal money, but that the legislature can provide additional money. It is also something for which public-private partnerships can help provide funding.
“We have to try to pull every lever to make sure we keep things rolling,” he added.
Merritt agrees that this is a program that needs to be expanded, as there are so many buildings at risk, especially in Salt Lake County.
One of the biggest problems getting in the way of the long waiting list for Fix the Bricks is that many residents are unaware that their home is causing the most damage, Schultz said. In addition, many residents can not afford the cost of adapting equipment.
Efforts have been made recently to secure the quake. HB 366, sponsored by Representative Clare Collard, D-Magna, was introduced in the Legislative Session earlier this year. It was aimed at requiring the Utah Seismic Safety Commission to “compile guides and videos for homeowners related to the earthquake-related risks of unreinforced masonry houses.”
More specifically, homeowners would be educated to know if they have an “unarmed brick house” and expand information on how they can build their home and reduce the risks of serious damage or destruction due to a major earthquake. The bill failed a House vote, 26-41, earlier this year.
One argument put forward against the bill before the vote on February 24 was that there are already videos online about dealing with unarmed masonry dwellings. Collard then objected that if residents did not know about the problem, they would not search the videos.
We need to do real good work that softens beforehand. … The next earthquake may be tomorrow and we can not sit idle and procrastinate.
–Chris Merritt, Utah Historic Preservation Officer
Collard joined the virtual meeting on Thursday to discuss the failed attempt. She said many of her colleagues were aware and concerned about the issue “but do not see the urgency of it.” She said residents can just move away, but given the shortage of housing and the affordable housing problems in the state, many just can’t. And if a resident could pull over, he would just hand over the baton to another person who would run the risk of a severe earthquake.
“The homes will always be occupied, regardless, and usually these residents do not have the funding to renovate their homes, so we know we have to work on that,” Collard said, adding that she would return to the issue later. order would set. this year with a bill that could expand Fix the Bricks across the country.
The FEMA report, released Thursday, presented five recommendations, including new programs for adapting maps and modifications to codes.
Earthquake insurance is another thing that is strongly promoted. While he was not at the meeting, tweeted the Salt Lake County Emergency Management Bureau Thursday that it is important that people buy for quotes on earthquake insurance.
“Most people get a terrible quote for the first time and give up,” the agency tweeted. “Look around for earthquake insurance.”
While the topic may not be an urgent matter at the moment, experts quickly pointed out on Thursday that no one knows when ‘the big’ will strike. All that is known is that historical patterns indicate that it is likely to occur at some point over the course of the next few decades. The Magna earthquake was a reminder of the unpredictability of the situation.
But it also leaves an unknown time frame for complete adaptation to reduce the impact of a major earthquake. Therefore, experts have argued that it is important to work on as many buildings as possible now, rather than waiting.
“We need to do something really good, and that will reduce the workload,” Merritt said. “The next earthquake could be tomorrow, and we can not sit idly by and postpone.”