Just before 4:31 a.m. on January 17, 1994, an earthquake registering 6.7 on the Richter scale rocked Los Angeles, killing more than 70 people and injuring over 9,000. The tremor damaged buildings from Santa Clarita to Anaheim, leveling entire blocks of buildings in Northridge, Santa Monica and Hollywood. The Santa Monica Freeway (U.S. 10) collapsed at La Cienega Blvd., as did the Newhall Pass interchange (Routes 5 and 14). The damage done to buildings and infrastructure can only be calculated in billions of dollars. By any estimate it was the costliest natural disaster in our nation’s history.
Since then we have made great advances in building safety and disaster preparedness, but it is only a matter of time before the Los Angeles area experiences another major earthquake. In the last two weeks alone, our region has experienced two substantial tremors, a 4.2 near San Bernardino and a 4.4 offshore quake near San Diego. No one can predict when the next earthquake will occur, but we can all take action now to safeguard our homes and families.
