August 30, 1962 - Cache Valley, UT - M 5.7

On Thursday, August 30, 1962 at 6:35 a.m., a magnitude 5.7 earthquake occurred at the Utah-Idaho border, north of Richmond, Utah. The earthquake was reported felt in six states: Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and Nevada.

There were no deaths or serious injuries reported for the earthquake. Severe property damage was reported in the Cache Valley, Utah cities of Richmond, Lewiston and Logan. There were few damage reports outside of Cache Valley, with only minor damage reported at other nearby northern Utah and southern Idaho communities.

In Richmond, reported property damage included cracked and collapsed walls and roofs, roofs broken from falling masonry, broken chimneys, cracked and fallen plaster, and broken windows. One report noted that approximately 75 percent of homes in the city received some damage. Some of these homes required repairs before being inhabitable. Others were damaged so severely they had to be razed. The Benson Stake LDS Tabernacle was damaged severely and was later torn down. North Cache High School was damaged so badly the school had to be closed for repairs.

There were also many homes damaged in the areas of Lewiston, Cornish and Trenton, Utah. Some of the damage in Lewiston included cracked walls, broken windows and roofs damaged from fallen concrete and ornamental brickwork.

In Logan, the earthquake damaged waterlines and disrupted communication lines. A power failure forced the Logan LDS Hospital and police station onto auxiliary power. Service was restored at 9:20 a.m.

Buildings in Logan suffered damage that included cracked walls, collapsed rooms, broken windows, plaster jarred loose, weakened roofs, and entire walls knocked out of plumb or partially off foundations.

Reports from these Cache Valley cities noted that decorative parapet walls on rooftops were hardest hit with many locations where masonry and broken glass fell onto city sidewalks.

A rockslide in Logan Canyon covered Highway 89 in tons of debris. In Cherry Creek Canyon east of Richmond, a large cloud of dust was observed, resulting from a massive earthquake-induced landslide.

Some farmers in upper Cache Valley observed good streams of water flowing in previously dry wells. Some reported that the earthquake appeared to upset both farm livestock and wildlife.

For additional information about this earthquake:

Earthquake Summary  Newspaper Articles  Photos

Personal Accounts  Additional Resources