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SALT LAKE CITY — Utah Gov. Gary Herbert declared a state of emergency on Friday in response to Wednesday’s 5.7 earthquake in Magna.
The declaration is aimed at helping expedite state and federal resources to repair damage caused by the earthquake, Herbert said.
“I’m tremendously proud of how first responders and officials on the city, county and state levels worked together to respond to Wednesday’s earthquake,” Herbert said in a statement.
I've declared a State of Emergency to support repair efforts following the magnitude 5.7 earthquake that struck on Wednesday, March 18. You can view it here. pic.twitter.com/iIMewVXQ7J
— Gov. Gary Herbert (@GovHerbert) March 21, 2020
Declaring a state of emergency will allow the state to request assistance from other states if needed, as well as protect individuals and property from impacts of the quake, the executive order reads.
Wednesday's earthquake resulted in some property damage and no fatalities or major injuries. A total of 160 aftershocks hit the valley after the initial quake, the biggest being a 4.6 in magnitude, the Utah Division of Emergency Management reported.
“We are grateful that we had no major injuries and no fatalities as a result of this quake, but now we need to focus on helping our communities repair damages," Herbert said.
