The Northridge Earthquake occurred at 4:31 a.m. on January 17, 1994. The 6.7 magnitude earthquake took place in Northridge, California, just northwest of Los Angeles (“Northridge” 2019). The shaking lasted between ten and twenty seconds, with its epicenter located in the neighborhood of Reseda (Britannica 2022). The earthquake could be felt as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada (“Facts” 2015).
Summary
On the morning of January 17, 1994, a magnitude 6.7 earthquake shook northwestern Los Angeles. The cause of the earthquake was a rupture in a blind thrust fault (“1994 Northridge Earthquake” 2009). Since it was an undiscovered fault and there was a lack of foreshocks, the strong earthquake came as a surprise. Reports of infrastructure damage, fires, and landslides were reported within minutes of the initial quake (Kandel 2018). The damage was high because of the epicenter being located underneath a densely populated area with lots of buildings. The effects of the earthquake put Southern California into a state of emergency and Los Angeles County was later named a national disaster area by President Clinton (Kandel 2018). Fifty-seven people were killed and around 9,000 were injured in the earthquake (“Facts” 2015). Because the event was early on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (a federal holiday), many people were at home, which ultimately helped in saving lives (“1994 Northridge Earthquake” 2009). Twenty-five thousand people were displaced from their homes as well (Keller 2019). A total of fifty-six aftershocks, ranging from 5.0 magnitude and below, occurred between January 17th and the end of September of the same year (Hauksson 1995). The Northridge Earthquake was the most damaging earthquake to happen in California since 1906, and the costliest earthquake in U.S. history, with a total of $20 billion in damages (Britannica 2022; “1994 Northridge Earthquake” 2009).
Discussion
The biggest issue with the effects of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake was infrastructure damage. The older buildings and bridges were the ones that suffered the most damage, while the newer construction held up the best because of updated safety codes following the 1971 San Fernando Earthquake (Cooper 1994; “1994 Northridge Earthquake” 2009). This shows that structural regulations and retrofitting are probably the best option in helping prevent major damage in future quakes. Zoning was also done following the earthquake to help plan with building structures to withstand earthquakes and to better predict where damage might occur. The Federal Emergency Management Agency gave $20 million to the California Geological survey to go towards zoning (“Northridge” 2019). The California Earthquake Authority was created directly resulting from the earthquake to cover earthquake insurance (“1994 Northridge Earthquake” 2009). An earthquake warning system is another way to help mitigate these types of situations. Although the city did not have one at the time, they have since developed one. This can help prepare residents for impact; even seconds can help with saving lives if it means they can take cover. During the 1994 earthquake, the shaking was so intense that the seismograph malfunctioned, which caused issues with getting the information out to responders (Keller 2019). Educating residents and responders on safety and preparedness may also help with casualties if they know what to do and where to go. Since the Northridge Earthquake, buildings have better safety codes, there is city hazard zoning, and a warning system.
This image shows the severity of shaking within the Los Angeles area.
“Northridge Earthquake, January 17, 1994.” California Department of Conservation, 2019, https://www.conservation.ca.gov/cgs/earthquakes/northridge.
This image shows the damage of a freeway that was caused by the earthquake.
Grad, Shelby. “Here's What It Was like to Live through the Terror of the Northridge Earthquake, Which Hit 24 Years Ago.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 17 Jan. 2018, https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-northridge-quake-remember-20180117-htmlstory.html.
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