Devastation in the Darkness
THE NORTHRIDGE EARTHQUAKE
The strongest ground motions lasted for about 15 seconds. That was all it took for Nature to tear the world apart for the people of Los Angeles, California, and surrounding areas.
At 0431 hours (Pacific Standard Time) on January 17, 1994, Los Angeles was rocked by an earthquake whose damage, in recent U.S. history, was precedented only by the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.
Its moment magnitude was 6.7- moderate by most standards-but its damage was severe, due most entirely to location. Despite the fact that the city is one of the most earthquake-prepared in the country, hundreds of buildings collapsed from the impact. Hundreds of people were trapped in them. Freeways buckled and fell. Natural gas lines ruptured and set fire to the city. Trains fell off their tracks. Hospitals were evacuated. A university was severely damaged from fire and collapse. Hundreds of mobile homes and both singleand multiple-family dwellings were destroyed by fire. Water mains ruptured and electric power was lost. The potential for a conflagration was imminent. It was early in the morning, and the city awakened to devastation in the darkness.
The earthquake’s epicenter was located in the Northridge section of town, nestled within the San Fernando Valley, a heavily populated area (more than 1.2 million people) 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles. The San Fernando Valley is bounded to the north and south by mountains that run roughly in an east-west direction. EQE International, a consulting firm specializing in natural hazards risk reduction, in its report. The January 17, 1994 Northridge, California Earthquake, stated the earthquake occurred “on a thrust fault along the northern fringes of the valley.” It reported “accelerations in the range of 1.0 g… recorded over a large area.” (Note: 1.0 g is equal to the force of gravity.) Ground accelerations were as high as 1.8 g-that is, the earthquake was exerting forces on people and buildings that exceeded the earth’s gravity.
The severe motions of the ground caused significant structural damage up to 47 miles from the epicenter. In the period of January 17 to 28, there were 13 aftershocks equal to or greater than 4.0 magnitude. One such aftershock, of a magnitude of 5.3, occurred the afternoon of January 17 and seriously jeopardized the safety of rescue personnel operating at collapse sites throughout the city. The threat of secondary collapse was ever-present. As of this writing, Los Angeles has experienced about 8,500 aftershocks in the wake of the Northridge Earthquake.
A total of 12,500 structures were moderately or severely damaged in the earthquake. This number includes, out of the 66,546 buildings that were inspected, six percent that were severely damaged and 17 percent that were moderately damaged. Approximately 99 percent of severely damaged buildings and 94 percent of moderately damaged buildings were in the San Fernando Valley.
At least 57 people-possibly 61-died as a direct result of the Northridge Earthquake; most died as a direct result of crush injuries. Only one emergency responder, Police Motorcycle Officer Clarence Dean, riding to work at the moment of impact, died; he plunged to his death when his motorcycle flew off a collapsed section of interstate highway. More than 75 percent of earthquake-related deaths and almost 99 percent of all casualties occurred in the San Fernando Valley region.
There were at least 9.196 injuries resulting from the earthquake. At least 20,000 were made homeless; the displaced survivors camped in city parks in the days immediately following the quake. Twentyfour hours after the quake, more than lOO.(XX) homes had no power and more than 50,000 homes no water. A total of 2,000 National Guard troops were called in to the area to keep the peace. Hundreds of rescue teams were sent in by the state to search the wreckage for victims.
Property losses from the earthquake are estimated at more than $15 billion. Billions of dollars in disaster relief and insurance payouts were incurred. In terms of disaster compensation, the Northridge Earthquake ranks third behind hurricanes Andrew and Hugo. Business interruptions cost private and public enterprises untold millions. In its tourist economy alone, Los Angeles lost more than $300 million and 9,(XX) jobs.
It was to this sublime havoc that 788 onduty members of the City of Los Angeles Fire Department, most of whom were sleeping in quarters, were called to respond….
Sources for statistical information:
- City of Los Angeles Fire Department
- EQE International (Note: See EQE summary report. The January 17, 1994 Northridge, California Earthquake, available from EQE International. 44 Montgomery Street, Suite 3200. San Francisco, CA 94104-4805.)
- Los Angeles Times
- The New York Times
