The quake produced unusually strong ground accelerations in the range of 1.0 g. Damage was also caused by fire and landslides. Rail service was briefly interrupted, with full Amtrak and expanded Metrolink service resuming in stages in the days after the quake. [52] CSUN also received assistance from government agencies FEMA and OES to support the recovery effort and serve the needs of the local community. Subsequently, a team was sent out to film footage of the quake-damaged areas of the city. The campus still opened and provided students with mobile classrooms and mobile offices. Although the vast majority of homes in the area, with the exception of a few particular neighborhoods, were relatively unaffected; many feared an aftershock to rival or exceed the severity of the first one. Although several commercial buildings also collapsed, loss of life was minimized because of the early morning hour of the quake, and because it also occurred on a federal holiday (Martin Luther King Jr. Day). He likely did not realize until too late in the early morning darkness that the elevated roadway had collapsed. At least 57 people perished, while thousands more were injured. Many multifamily apartment buildings in Santa Monica were yellow-tagged and red-tagged. [37] The season five episode of Seinfeld entitled "The Pie" was due to begin shooting on January 17 before stage sets were damaged. Damaged portion of the Golden State Freeway at Gavin Canyon, January 17, 1994. At the Northridge Meadows apartment complex, 16 people were killed, all of whom lived on the first floor, when the three-story, stucco-and-wood structure fell down on them. Some structures were not red-tagged until months later because the damage was not immediately evident. LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 1994 Northridge earthquake shook Los Angeles residents from their sleep, caused freeways to … The Northridge earthquake led to a number of legislative changes. The seismic event led to millions of dollars worth damage resulting in a sharp drop in student enrollment. "Fatal and hospitalized injuries resulting from the 1994 Northridge earthquake", https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-iris-adrian-1440804.html, "25 Years Later: The Desperate Search for Survivors at Northridge Meadows Apartments", "Federal Highway Administration Research and Technology", "Interchange Named for Officer Who Died in Quake", "Earthquake: Disaster Before Dawn: Scoreboard Crashes Onto Seats in Anaheim Stadium: Collapse: The 17.5-ton Sony 'Jumbotron' also destroyed a section of roof as it broke loose and fell to the left-field upper deck", "Comments for the Significant Earthquake", "Dangerous L.A. apartment buildings most at risk in an earthquake are quickly being fixed", "Earthquake: The Long Road Back: Hospitals Strained to the Limit by Injured: Medical care: Doctors treat quake victims in parking lots. [16], Damage occurred up to 85 miles (137 km) away, with the most damage in the west San Fernando Valley, and the cities and neighborhoods of Santa Monica, Hollywood, Simi Valley and Santa Clarita. However, the damage revealed that some structural specifications did not perform as intended. The 1994 Northridge Earthquake was a violent natural disaster that took place on Monday, January 17, 1994 at 0430 Pacific Standard Time around the Los Angeles area. The earthquake, which occurred on a blind thrust fault, was one of the strongest ground motions ever recorded in North America. [40][41] James E. Roberts was chief bridge engineer with Caltrans and was placed in charge of the seismic retrofit program for Caltrans until his death in 2006. Now, the recent reports of major fault activity leaving California vulnerable to another massive quake has rattled us again.. On Jan. 17, 1994 at 4:31 a.m., the Northridge earthquake hit like a bomb. [22][23] Some counts factor in related events such as a man's suicide possibly inspired by the loss of his business in the disaster. [29] The stadium was vacant at the time. Learn 1994 Northridge earthquake facts for kids. [24] Not only were they unable to serve their local neighborhoods, but they also had to transfer out their inpatient populations, which further increased the burden on nearby hospitals that were still operational. The airport was reopened in stages after the quake. Did you know? The earthquake was magnitude 6.7 on a previously unidentified thrust fault, creating strong horizontal and vertical ground motion lasting up to 10 seconds. Therefore, caution should be taken in seismic design of diaphragm walls using ACI 318 code requirements. This was the first report of such an outbreak following an earthquake, and it is believed that the spores were carried in large clouds of dust created by seismically triggered landslides. Gazzarri's nightclub suffered irreparable damage and had to be torn down. The campus was unable to use any of its classrooms because of the damage the buildings sustained. L'inscription et … The Oviatt Library experienced both interior and exterior damage, but the overall frame of the central part of the building remained stable, allowing student use to continue. On January 17, 1994, at 4:31 a.m. PST, a magnitude 6 .7 earthquake centered in Northridge struck the southern California area. 1994 Northridge earthquake, most of the fatalities occurred in buildings suffering from this particular type of irregular configuration. The daily commute for many drivers in the weeks following was significantly lengthened, notably for those traveling between Santa Clarita and Los Angeles, and commuters on I-10 traveling to and from the Westside. Interruptions to road transport caused Metrolink to experiment with service to Camarillo in February and Oxnard in April,[42][43] which continues today as the Ventura County Line, and extended the Antelope Valley Line almost ten years ahead of schedule. Additional damage occurred about 50 miles (80 km) southeast in the city of Anaheim, located in Orange County, as the scoreboard at Anaheim Stadium collapsed onto several hundred seats. The Los Angeles City Hall suffered no damage. Northridge 1994: Main facts-Timing: January 17, 1994, 4:30 am-Size: M = 6.7, 10-20 seconds of shaking-Epicenter at Northridge, CA, on previously unknown fault Although given the name "Northridge", where the quake was believed to have been centered and substantial damage occurred, the actual epicenter was pinpointed in the neighboring community of Reseda within several days. LOS ANGELES (AP) – The 1994 Northridge earthquake shook Los … While investigating facts about Northridge Earthquake Magnitude and Northridge Earthquake 1987, I found out little known, but curios details like:. Study raises Northridge quake death toll to 72. The 1994 Northridge earthquake (M = 6.7) occurred in a heavily populated urban area northwest of Los Angeles, and had many similarities to the 1971 San Fernando earthquake (M = 6.7). The Martin Luther King Jr. How big was the earthquake? Date January 17, 1994 (1994-01-17) Origin time 04:31 PST (12:30 UTC) Magnitude 6.7 Mw. LOS ANGELES (AP) — The 1994 Northridge earthquake shook Los Angeles residents from their sleep, caused freeways to crumble and flattened buildings. [32] In the San Fernando Valley, several underground gas and water lines were severed, resulting in some streets experiencing simultaneous fires and floods. [19] The Northridge earthquake was the costliest natural disaster to have occurred in the United States at the time, and is today the third largest economic loss caused by a natural disaster in the nation’s history. The building containing the set was later "red tagged" as unsafe due to the damage it sustained. [33] As expected, unreinforced masonry buildings and houses on steep slopes suffered damage. The Northridge earthquake was notable for hitting almost the same exact area as the Mw 6.6 San Fernando (Sylmar) earthquake. The 1994 Northridge earthquake was a moment magnitude 6.7 (Mw), blind thrust earthquake that occurred on January 17, 1994, at 4:30:55 a.m. PST in the San Fernando Valley region of the County of Los Angeles. The quake was caused by the sudden rupture of a previously undocumented blind thrust fault. Periodic rumbles were nothing new to Alaskans—four out of every five U.S. earthquakes occur in the state—but the quake that struck at 5:36 p.m. local time on Good Friday was unlike any ...read more, San Francisco’s location along the San Andreas Fault means that the city is, and always will be, prone to earthquakes. [24] Actress Iris Adrian died in September 1994 from complications of a broken hip she suffered in the earthquake. Afterward, anchors and reporters Stan Chambers and Hal Fishman of KTLA, Laura Diaz, Ann Martin and Harold Greene of KABC, John Beard of KTTV, and Michael Tuck, Linda Alvarez and Tritia Toyota of KCBS were doing coverage throughout the day. On April 18, 1906, an earthquake and subsequent fires devastated San Francisco, California, leaving more than 3,000 people dead and destroying more than 28,000 buildings. Schneider, E., Hajjeh, R. A., Spiegel, R. A., Jibson, R. W., Harp, E. L., Marshall, G. A., . Details of some disaster-related deaths are released", "The Freeways; Collapsed Freeways Cripple City Where People Live Behind Wheel", "The Northridge Earthquake: 20 Years Ago Today – Info and images of collapsed freeways", "Camarillo Gets a Little Good News: MetroLink Is Coming", "Last of Post-Quake Metrolink Stations Opening in Oxnard", "Quake-Ravaged CSUN Reopens Amid Confusion", "20 Years after Northridge Earthquake, CSUN Is Not Just Back, Better", "Flashback: NBC4 Covers 1994 Northridge Earthquake", "The Northridge Earthquake: 20 Years Ago Today", Southern California Earthquake Data Center, USC Earthquake Engineering-Strong Motion Group, SAC Steel Project (Study of welded steel failures), Helicopter Footage Filmed After The Quake, City of Los Angeles Re-survey of the San Fernando Valley, California State University Northridge Botanic Garden, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1994_Northridge_earthquake&oldid=1001000573, Geology of Los Angeles County, California, 1994 natural disasters in the United States, Articles with unsourced statements from October 2014, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from March 2019, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2014, Articles needing additional references from April 2018, All articles needing additional references, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2011, Articles needing additional references from October 2014, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. The recording venues Capitol Records and Warner Bros. Records were shut down at the time of the quake. Enrollment dropped by approximately 1,000 students, leaving some homeless as dormitories were closed due to damage which rendered them unsafe and which required repair.[51]. The Northridge earthquake was used as a plot device in the 2004 film, A song about the earthquake was featured in the, This page was last edited on 17 January 2021, at 19:40. © 2021 A&E Television Networks, LLC. By KTAR Newsroom January 16, 2014 at 5:00 pm. [15] Several other faults experienced minor rupture during the main shock and other ruptures occurred during large aftershocks, or triggered events. The comparison of the seismic behavior of underground braced walls with ACI 318 design method reveals that bending moment and shear force of the walls under Northridge earthquake loads were observed to reach 2.8 and 2.7 times as large as the respective allowable limits. The National Geophysical Data Center placed the hypocenter's geographical coordinates at 34°12′47″N 118°32′13″W / 34.21306°N 118.53694°W / 34.21306; -118.53694 and at a depth of 11.4 miles (18.3 km). The 1994 Spring semester was delayed by two weeks due to the Northridge earthquake. California engineers had classified and codified building irregularities as early as 1980s. NBC station KNBC was the first television station to go on the air, with reporter Joe Rico beginning the station's coverage just two minutes after the earthquake began[54] while anchors Kent Shocknek, Carla Aragon, Colleen Williams and Chuck Henry were producing special reports throughout the morning. The quake ruptured the San Andreas fault to the north and south of the city, for a total of 296 miles, and ...read more, On September 21, 1999, an earthquake in Taiwan killed more than 2,400 people, destroyed or damaged thousands of buildings and left an estimated 100,000 people homeless. Damage to the system resulted in water pressure dropping to zero in some areas; this predictably affected success in fighting subsequent fires. Earthquake facts. The city of Santa Monica suffered significant damage. Los Angeles International Airport and other airports in the area were also shut down as a 2-hour precaution, including Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport (now Hollywood Burbank Airport) and Van Nuys Airport, which is near the epicenter, where the control tower suffered from radar failure and panel collapse. [citation needed]. Los Angeles' radio and television stations were knocked off the air, but resumed coverage later. The Northridge quake, named after the San Fernando Valley community near its epicenter, was the costliest in U.S. history, with damages estimated at more than $20 billion, and resulted in 57 deaths. [50] The Fine Arts Building and the South Library experienced internal structural damage, resulting in the demolition and replacement of both buildings. Depth 19.0 km (11.8 mi) Epicenter location 34°12′25″N 118°32′06″W / 34.207°N 118.535°W / 34.207; 118.535 Coordinates: 34°12′25″N 118°32′06″W / 34.207°N 118.535°W / 34.207; -118.535. The Church on the Way, which is near the epicenter, suffered moderate damage to the church campus building. [11] The death toll was 60, with more than 9,000 injured. It was closed for the second time since the Loma Prieta earthquake. A coccidioidomycosis outbreak following the Northridge, Calif, earthquake. The third major earthquake to occur in the state in 23 years (after the 1971 San Fernando Valley and 1989 San Francisco–Oakland earthquakes), the Northridge earthquake was the state’s most destructive one since the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 and the … It was the last deadly quake to strike a U.S. metropolitan region. All 58 buildings on campus sustained significant damage, resulting in a $406 million recovery effort (equivalent to $700 million today). . Due to the large amount lost by insurance companies, most insurance companies either stopped offering or severely restricted earthquake insurance in California. But if you see something that doesn't look right, click here to contact us! At 4:31 a.m. on January 17, 1994, a 6.7-magnitude quake struck the San Fernando Valley, a densely populated area of Los Angeles located 20 miles northwest of … [12] In addition, property damage was estimated to be $13–50 billion (equivalent to $22–86 billion in 2014),[13] making it one of the costliest natural disasters in U.S. history. [citation needed] Estimates of total damage range between $13 and $40 billion.[30]. . [46] The 6.7 magnitude earthquake damaged several buildings as well as destroying all communications, such as telephone lines and causing computer systems to shut down. A Quake!" An unusual effect of the Northridge earthquake was an outbreak of coccidioidomycosis (Valley fever) in Ventura County. Northridge Earthquake By Jake and Jordi Damage Quick Facts The Northridge earthquake caused extensive damage to parking structures and freeway overpasses Northridge earthquake triggered landslides in the Santa Susana Mountains, Santa Monica Mountains, and western San Gabriel The quake had a duration of approximately 10–20 seconds, and its peak ground acceleration of 1.82 g0 (17.8 m/s2)[7][8] was the highest ever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in North America. Farther north, the Newhall Pass interchange of Interstate 5 (the Golden State Freeway) and State Route 14 (the Antelope Valley Freeway) collapsed as it had 23 years earlier in the 1971 Sylmar earthquake, even though it had been rebuilt with minor improvements to the structural components. [25], Sixteen people were killed as a result of the collapse of the Northridge Meadows apartment complex. While many businesses remained closed in the days following the quake, some infrastructure was not able to be rebuilt for months, even years later. [35], Eleven hospitals suffered structural damage and were damaged or rendered unusable. It was the worst earthquake to hit Taiwan–where quakes are common due to its location in a seismically active ...read more, On October 8, 2005, a magnitude 7.6 earthquake shook the Kashmir region (a disputed territory controlled in part by Pakistan and India), along with sections of Pakistan, India and Afghanistan. Some people even made temporary relocations closer to their jobs while their homes or neighborhoods were being rebuilt. At 4:30 am, on January 17, 1994, residents of the greater Los Angeles area were rudely awakened by the strong shaking of the Northridge earthquake. The 203 cases reported, of which three resulted in fatalities, constituted roughly 10 times the normal rate in the initial eight weeks. The main courtroom set was in shambles. Most were unable to meet this deadline and only managed to achieve compliance in 2008 or 2009.[36]. [48] In addition, the newly completed student parking structure C collapsed, and had to be demolished. The cast and crew had initially thought that the scenes that were filmed before the real quake struck were a bit overdone, but upon viewing the footage after the earthquake, they were reportedly startled by the realism of it. However, school buildings (K-12), which are required by California law to be reinforced, in general, survived fairly well. Five days later, it was estimated that between 40,000 and 60,000 customers were still without public water service. Another important factor was that the building and safety codes in Los Angeles had been strengthened following a powerful quake in the San Fernando Valley in 1971 (also called the Sylmar Earthquake). For example, the behavior of underground walls has been evaluated for the Northridge earthquake using numerical methods. The rebuilt interchange was renamed in his honor a year later.[28]. Production came to a halt. KROQ-FM's Kevin and Bean morning show asked those people tuned in to stay out of their homes. In addition, the campus received a $23,000 check (equivalent to $40,000 today) from the Los Angeles Times Valley Edition for the journalism department. Universal Studios Hollywood shut down the Earthquake attraction, based on the 1974 motion picture blockbuster, Earthquake. Subscribe for fascinating stories connecting the past to the present. The United States Postal Service suspended all mail service throughout the Los Angeles area for several days. The analysis of the effect of Northridge earthquake on behavior of structures has been investigated by many researchers. (1997). The production of movies and TV shows was disrupted. The Historic Egyptian Theater in Hollywood was red-tagged and closed as was the Capital Theater in Glendale due to structural damage. CSUN President Dr. Blenda Wilson assured the rental of temporary structures to be placed in available spaces throughout the campus. [38], Some archives of film and entertainment programming were also affected. As a result, the state legislature passed a law requiring all hospitals in California to ensure that their acute care units and emergency rooms would be in earthquake-resistant buildings by January 1, 2005. The Northridge earthquake of 1994 was an earthquake that struck the densely populated San Fernando Valley in southern California on January 17, 1994. Science 1994 ; 266 : … [citation needed] Mark & Brian's morning show on KLOS was also affected. Parade, scheduled to take place on January 17, was not held. [47] The damage caused a shutdown of the campus and delayed the start of the 1994 Spring semester. All of the earthquake sequences in the Wes Craven film New Nightmare were filmed a month prior to the Northridge quake. In particular, buildings with an unstable first floor (such as those with parking areas on the bottom) performed poorly. The magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake started on Jan. 17, 1994 at 5 seconds before 4:31 a.m. The Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA had three home games postponed or moved to other venues. [57], Section of collapsed low-rise apartment buildings, Lifestyle disruptions in the weeks following. [citation needed] The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and now-gone Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena suffered minor damage. But that doesn’t have to mean it’s prone to devastation. California State University, Northridge, was the closest university to the epicenter. For example, the original 35 mm master films for the 1960s sitcom My Living Doll were destroyed.[39]. Portions of a number of major roads and freeways, including Interstate 10 over La Cienega Boulevard, and the interchanges of Interstate 5 with California State Route 14, 118, and Interstate 210, were closed because of structural failure or collapse. Despite the fact that the disaster was one of the most powerful and destructive quakes ever to hit a populated area of the United States, ...read more, The 1964 Alaska earthquake, the strongest earthquake ever recorded in North America, struck Alaska’s Prince William Sound, about 74 miles southeast of Anchorage. Werner, S. B. The Los Angeles Public Library shut down most of its branches; books were knocked down during the quake. More than 80,000 people perished as a result of the quake, while an estimated 4 million ...read more, The powerful earthquake killed more than 10,000 and left another 30,000 others injured and as many as a quarter of a million people homeless. The 1994 Northridge Earthquake was a violent natural disaster that took place on Monday, January 17, 1994 at 0430 Pacific Standard Time around the Los Angeles area. [44] Metrolink leased equipment from Amtrak, San Francisco's Caltrain and Toronto, Canada's GO Transit to handle the sudden onslaught of passengers. The Animaniacs segment "A Quake! Even though it was a relatively moderate quake, it became the most costly in U.S. history ($40 billion in damage). From the ones we know about, the deadliest by far happened in China in 1556 A.D. On January 23 of that year, a powerful quake rocked the province of Shaanxi as well as the neighboring province of Shanxi, killing an ...read more. [clarification needed] Also, ABC's General Hospital, which shoots in Los Angeles, was heavily affected. Description. [56] 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. Radio stations such as KFI, KFWB and KNX were on the air during the main tremor, which caused their signals to get very noisy. Learn how and when to remove this template message, "The Northridge Earthquake of 1994: Ground Motions and Geotechnical Aspects", "Northridge 1994: 6.7 – 1km NNW of Reseda, CA", https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/70208422, "Significant Earthquakes of the World 1994", "The Large Aftershocks of the Northridge Earthquake and their Relationship to Mainshock Slip and Fault Zone Complexity", "Remembering The Northridge Earthquake 27 Years Later", "1994 Quake Still Fresh in Los Angeles Minds", "Show Event – NGDC Natural Hazard Images", "USGS Northridge Earthquake 10th Anniversary", "Southern California Earthquake Data Center". Also, because of known seismic activity in California, area building codes dictate that buildings incorporate structural design intended to withstand earthquakes. The Northridge Earthquake: January 17, 1994. Jama, 277(11), 904-908. Especially hard hit was the area between Santa Monica Canyon and Saint John's Hospital, a linear corridor that suffered a significant amount of property damage. When the Northridge Earthquake caused a massive power outage in L.A. in 1994, panicked residents called 911 to express alarm about a strange ethereal light overhead; they were seeing the Milky Way Galaxy for the first time. An estimated $350 million (equivalent to $600 million today) was used to supply the number of trailers and domes which housed classes and administration offices. tells the story of the event. Many campus buildings were heavily damaged and a parking structure collapsed. The set, which is at ABC Television Center, suffered major damage, including partial structural collapse and water damage. The 1994 Northridge Earthqake occured on a then unknown fault. The peak ground velocity at the Rinaldi Receiving Station was 183 centimetres per second (4.1 mph; 6.6 km/h),[10] the fastest ever recorded. Additionally, many businesses were forced to relocate or use temporary facilities in order to accommodate structural damage to their original locations or the difficulty accessing them. FM radio stations such as KRTH, KIIS, KOST and KCBS radio were bringing special reports when morning show hosts Robert W. Morgan, Rick Dees and Charlie Tuna were calling Los Angeles residents and others from their sister stations to bring their belongings to the stations and advising people not to drink water. The quake had a duration of approximately 10–20 seconds, and its peak ground acceleration of 1.82 g0 (17.8 m/s ) was the highest ever instrumentally recorded in an urban area in North America. Most casualties and damage occurred in multi-story wood frame buildings (such as the three-story Northridge Meadows apartment building). The 1987 Whittier Narrows earthquake (M=5.9), like the Northridge shock, occurred on a buried, previously unknown fault. Strong ground motion was felt as far away as Las Vegas, Nevada, about 220 miles (350 km) from the epicenter. Amtrak ceased service in the Pasadena Subdivision following structural damage to a rail bridge in Arcadia and redirected all rail traffic through Riverside and Fullerton. Other local television stations, including KTLA, KCAL-TV, KCBS-TV and KABC-TV, were also knocked off the air. While a notable aftershock never came, many residents opted to stay in shelters or live with friends and family outside the area for a short time following.[55]. The University of Southern California suffered some structural damage to several older campus buildings, but classes were conducted as scheduled. Share . Southern California has about 10,000 earthquakes every year, although most are so small they aren’t felt. CSUN received financial assistance for its efforts in reestablishing the damaged buildings with monetary gifts from the McCarthy Foundation, the Common Wealth Fund, and the Union Bank Foundation. Numerous Los Angeles museums, including the Art Deco Building in Hollywood, were closed, as were numerous city shopping malls. [20] The "official" death toll was placed at 57;[19] 33 people died immediately or within a few days from injuries sustained,[21] and many died from indirect causes, such as stress-induced cardiac events. When the Northridge earthquake struck at 4:31 a.m. on January 17, 1994, it left much of the city in ruins with buildings and freeways collapsed.