SARATOGA SPRINGS, Utah — A Saratoga Springs couple is still rattled after they found themselves at the epicenter of a 3.5 magnitude earthquake that shook Utah County Thursday — and the aftershock that jolted them in the early morning hours.
Homeowners Barbara and Ben Dolman said the quake hit far too close for comfort. In fact, the epicenter was located right in their backyard.
Barbara showed KSL the exact spot, pointing out the location on a map on her phone, and talked about what she felt.
“It was really quick, like a boom,” Barbara said. “And it sounded so loud.”
The couple shared exclusive video and audio from their home security system capturing the moment the quake struck — a sudden explosive rumble followed by a chorus of car alarms.
“The thing that struck me the most was just the noise,” Ben said. “How loud it was. It was really, really loud.”
Standing near a tree in their backyard, Barbara recalled the moment the ground moved beneath her feet as she was watering it.
“It felt like it kind of lifted and rolled a little bit,” Barbara said.
Just when they began to settle down, an aftershock hit around 3 a.m.
“My heart was pounding,” Barbara said. “I couldn’t go back to sleep for a long time after.”
You can’t predict quakes, but you can prepare
Emergency Management Public Information Officer Genevieve Keys said Thursday’s quake is a reminder that earthquakes strike without warning — and families need to be ready.
Her top advice? Drop, cover, and hold On.
“That means to drop to the ground, get under a sturdy piece of furniture, cover your head and neck, and hold on to that piece of furniture until the shaking stops,” Keys said.
Keys said families should also keep at least a three‑day supply of food and water on hand.
“We recommend everyone to have at least three days’ worth of food and water,” Keys said. “Each person in your household should be allocated one gallon of water a day.”
Need to update your own emergency kit?
The Dolmans checked their own preparation kits to see what can be updated and said they hope others will take a moment to check their own supplies before another quake hits.
For a full checklist of what to include in an emergency kit, visit the Be Ready Utah website.
This story was adapted from a TV broadcast script using artificial intelligence. Every story, including those adapted with AI, is reviewed by a human editor before publication to ensure that KSL’s editorial standards are upheld.
