The Wasatch Front got lucky.

Wednesday morning’s earthquake apparently caused little more than minor damage. Some roads were closed. Some bricks were strewn. Some people experienced gas leaks. Many lost electricity. More than a few nerves were rattled.

But official reports cited no injuries or fatalities.

It was, perhaps, the perfect wake-up call. Utahns live in an active seismic zone, although events like this 5.7 magnitude quake in the Salt Lake metro area are rare. Experts say the metro area could get something much worse some day. People need to be ready.

The first instinct Wednesday was to connect with family and loved ones. That’s a quick reminder of what really matters in life. Concerns about work projects and other things that tend to occupy the mind — even, perhaps, the COVID-19 pandemic — suddenly seemed trivial by comparison. People wanted to know if their family members and neighbors were safe.

Take that as another reminder of the need to prepare in order to protect those you love most.

Experts have put the odds of a major northern Utah quake at 50% over the next 50 years or so. The Wasatch and West Valley faults run through the state’s most populated areas.

Obviously, people will be more aware now of the need to stockpile water and nonperishable food supplies. But the bigger lesson may be for governments.

Utah still has way too many structures that are vulnerable.

Two years ago, a Deseret News analysis of the number of Salt Lake County homes concluded that roughly 1 in 3 could crumble in the event of a magnitude 7.0 or stronger earthquake — something much larger than what struck Wednesday, but within the realm of possibility.

Link: Learn how to prepare for the next earthquake.

These structures are made of brick, cinder blocks or adobe and were built, for the most part, before 1975. They are not supported by steel that would allow them to bend to avoid what could be a deadly collapse.

That report quoted an earthquake program manager for the Utah Division of Emergency Management saying of these structures, “They’re like a house of cards. There’s actually nothing tying them together.”

Under the current, difficult economic conditions, this may be a challenging problem to confront. But state and local governments need to consider funding programs to help people retrofit these homes, and any other vulnerable structures. This should become a priority.

The timing of this quake was lucky, too. It happened early in the morning when many people had not left for work. It happened during a pandemic, when many people are working from home, anyway. Families, to a large degree, were not separated. People were not clogging roads trying to get home. The COVID-19 pandemic already had led many people to stock up on supplies.

Thankfully, this seismic event was not worse. But everyone along the Wasatch Front should be convinced now that earthquakes happen here, and that preparedness should be a serious issue.