Jonathan Fitisemanu
Professor Bill Case
Geology 1010
The 1994 California Earthquake
The Northridge earthquake was an earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at
04:31 Pacific Standard Time in Reseda, a neighborhood in Los Angeles, California, lasting for
about 10–20 seconds. The earthquake had a "strong" moment magnitude of 6.7, but the
ground acceleration was one of the highest ever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in
North America, measuring 1.7 g (16.7 m/s2) with strong ground motion felt as far away as Las
Vegas, Nevada, over 270 miles (435 km) from the epicenter. The death toll came to a total of 57
people, and there were over 8,700 injured. In addition, the earthquake caused an estimated
$20 billion in damage, making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history.
The earthquake struck in the San Fernando Valley about 20 miles (31 km) northwest of
downtown Los Angeles near the community of Northridge. The actual epicenter of the quake
was in Reseda, near the intersection of Reseda Boulevard and Strathern Street. However, it took
several days to pinpoint the epicenter with accuracy, and in the meantime the media had already
dubbed it "The Northridge Earthquake." The name stuck, in part due to the extensive damage and
loss of life in Northridge. The National Geophysical Data Center places the hypocenter's
geographical coordinates at 34°12′47″N 118°32′13″W and a depth of 17 km (10.56 mi). Despite
the area's proximity to the San Andreas Fault, the Northridge quake did not occur along this
fault, but rather on the previously undiscovered Northridge blind thrust fault (also known as the
Pico thrust fault).
Damage occurred up to 85 miles (125 km) away, with the most damage in the west San
Fernando Valley, and the cities of Santa Monica, Simi Valley and Santa Clarita. The number of
fatalities is not certain, with sources estimating it at 60 or "over 60", to 72, where most estimates
fall around 60. The "official" death toll was placed at 57. 33 people died immediately or within a
few days from injuries sustained in the earthquake, and many died from indirect causes, such as
stress-induced cardiac events. Some counts factor in related events such as a man's suicide
possibly inspired by the loss of his business in the disaster. More than 8,700 were injured
including 1,600 that required hospitalization.
The United States Postal Service suspended all mail service throughout the Los Angeles
area for several days, Los Angeles Public Library shut down most of its branches; books were
knocked down after the quake. The Los Angeles City Hall suffered no damage. Los Angeles
Mayor Richard Riordan declared a state of emergency and issued curfews in the area, while
Governor Pete Wilson and President Bill Clinton visited Los Angeles to tour the earthquake area.
Archbishop Cardinal Roger Mahony's Cathedral of St. Vibiana suffered severe damage and
canceled activities until a new church was built in 2002. The Church On The Way, which is near
the epicenter, suffered some damage on the church campus building. Jack Hayford also canceled
his activities in the church. The Martin Luther King Jr. Parade was scheduled to take place (on
the day of the earthquake) was not held.
The Northridge earthquake led to a number of legislative changes. Due to the large
amount lost by insurance companies because of the earthquake, most insurance companies either
stopped offering or severely restricted earthquake insurance in California (and elsewhere). In
response, the California Legislature created the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), which is
a publicly managed but privately funded organization that offers minimal coverage.[20] A
substantial effort was also made to reinforce freeway bridges against seismic shaking, and a law
requiring water heaters to be properly strapped was passed in 1995.