How many people died in the Loma Prieta earthquake?
The Loma Prieta earthquake caused 63 deaths, 3,757 injuries, and about $6 billion in damage. Many casualties occurred as parts of several transportationroutes, including the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridgeand a busy freeway, collapsed.
What caused the 1989 earthquake in Loma Prieta California?
Earthquake Loma Prieta California 1989. The highest number of fatalities, 42, occurred in the City of Oakland because of the failure of the Cypress Street Viaduct on the Nimitz Freeway (Interstate 880), where a double-deck portion of the freeway collapsed, crushing the cars on the lower deck. One 50-foot...
Where did the team travel during the Loma Prieta earthquake?
The team traveled to the San Francisco area and carried out its investigation during the period of October 18-26, 1989. See the NIST report, " Performance of Structures During the Loma Prieta Earthquake of October 17, 1989 ," for more information.
What are the movies about the Loma Prieta earthquake?
Loma Prieta Earthquake, 30 Years Later - aired on NBC owned-and-operated television station KNTV in San Francisco Bay Area for its 30th anniversary in 2019. The Day the Series Stopped - 2014 documentary film from ESPN 's 30 for 30 series that focuses on the disruption of the 1989 World Series by the earthquake.
Did the Loma Prieta earthquake cause a fire?
Shortly after the Loma Prieta earthquake devastated northern California in 1989, a fire broke out in a structure located in the prestigious Marina District of San Francisco. The fire destroyed a few structures that had just suffered the magnitude 7.1 earthquake, leaving many homeless.
How long did 1989 earthquake last?
–15 secondsCaused by a slip along the San Andreas Fault, the quake lasted 10–15 seconds and measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale, or 6.9 on the open-ended Richter Scale. The quake killed 63 people throughout northern California, injured 3,757 and left some 3,000-12,000 people homeless.
How big was the 1989 Bay Area earthquake?
On October 17, 1989, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake hit the San Francisco Bay Area, killing 67 people and causing more than $5 billion in damages. 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, the death toll was relatively small.
How many people died in the 1989 earthquake?
San Francisco earthquake of 1989, also called Loma Prieta earthquake, major earthquake that struck the San Francisco Bay Area, California, U.S., on October 17, 1989, and caused 63 deaths, nearly 3,800 injuries, and an estimated $6 billion in property damage.
What was the worst earthquake in history?
1. Valdivia Earthquake (1960)– 9.5.
What causes the earth to shake?
When the plates are stuck together and friction is high, the energy is stored. When the plates disconnect and release, the stored energy is released. That energy is released outward from the fault line in seismic waves. These waves of energy move through the Earth's surface and cause it to shake.
Did the Golden Gate Bridge collapse in 1989?
Loma Prieta Earthquake, October 17, 1989 Although the Golden Gate Bridge suffered no observed damage from the Loma Prieta quake, since the epicenter was located some 60 miles to the south, the earthquake became a catalyst for the extensive seismic retrofit program that the historic structure is undergoing today.
What's the biggest earthquake in California?
In 1992, a 7.3 earthquake struck near Landers. It was “the largest earthquake to strike the contiguous United States in 40 years,” according to the United States Geological Survey. In 1989, a 6.9 earthquake hit Loma Prieta, Calif.
What is the strongest earthquake to hit California?
California's Largest Recorded Earthquakes Since 1800, Ranked by MagnitudeMagnitudeDateLocation7.9Jan. 9, 1857Fort Tejon7.8April 18, 1906San Francisco7.4Mar. 26, 1872Owens Valley7.4Nov. 8, 1980W. of Eureka*12 more rows
Who died in the 1989 earthquake?
1989 Loma Prieta earthquakeImage of collapsed Cypress freeway structure in Oakland, CaliforniaSanta Cruz Oakland SalinasLandslides1,000–4,000Foreshocks5.3 ML June 27, 1988 5.4 ML August 8, 1989Casualties63 killed, 3,757 injured15 more rows
Can you drive up Loma Prieta?
Loma Prieta is surrounded by private lands, and even the nearby roads are flagged for use by "authorized vehicles and local residents" only.
How long does an earthquake last?
about 10 to 30 secondsHow long do earthquakes last? Generally, only seconds. Strong ground shaking during a moderate to large earthquake typically lasts about 10 to 30 seconds. Readjustments in the earth cause more earthquakes (aftershocks) that can occur intermittently for weeks or months.
How long does an earthquake last?
about 10 to 30 secondsHow long do earthquakes last? Generally, only seconds. Strong ground shaking during a moderate to large earthquake typically lasts about 10 to 30 seconds. Readjustments in the earth cause more earthquakes (aftershocks) that can occur intermittently for weeks or months.
How many years overdue is the San Andreas Fault?
Narrator: On average, the San Andreas Fault ruptures every 150 years. The southern parts of the fault have remained inactive for over 200 years.
How long was the longest earthquake in California?
Seismic activity shook chandeliers and nerves for 33 long days, culminating in what we remember today as the Bakersfield earthquake of Aug. 22, 1952.
How long did the Newcastle earthquake last for?
six secondsIt lasted six seconds but people still recall the things they were doing when an earthquake, measuring 5.6 on the Richter scale, rippled through Newcastle, NSW.
How many people died in the Loma Prieta earthquake?from en.wikipedia.org
63 killed, 3,757 injured. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on California's Central Coast on October 17 at 5:04 p.m. local time. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County, approximately 10 mi (16 km) northeast of Santa Cruz on a section of the San Andreas Fault System and was named for ...
Where was the magnitude of the Loma Prieta earthquake?from conservation.ca.gov
Magnitude established at 6.9 after consultation with monitoring stations around the world. The Loma Prieta quake was felt as far away as San Diego and western Nevada.
What is the magnitude of an earthquake?from conservation.ca.gov
Magnitude is a measure of an earthquake's size, but rather than being a direct measure of the level of ground shaking, it is a measurement of the strength of the seismic sound waves given off by the earthquake. A magnitude 8 earthquake radiates 30 times more energy of a magnitude 7 and 900 times the energy of a magnitude 6. Strong ground shaking for a magnitude 7 quake typically lasts about 15 seconds. It lasts a minute in a magnitude 8.
What happened in the 1989 World Series?from en.wikipedia.org
The 1989 World Series featured the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants in the first cross-town World Series since 1956. Game 3 of the series was scheduled to begin at San Francisco's Candlestick Park on October 17 at 5:35 PDT, and American TV network ABC began its pre-game show at 5:00 PDT. When the quake struck at approximately 5:04 PDT, sportscaster Tim McCarver was narrating taped highlights of Game 2, which had been played two days prior across the Bay Bridge in Oakland. Television viewers saw the video signal begin to break up, heard McCarver repeat a sentence as the shaking distracted him, and heard McCarver's colleague Al Michaels exclaim, "I'll tell you what, we're having an earth – ." At that moment, the signal from Candlestick Park was lost.
How long does a magnitude 8 earthquake last?from conservation.ca.gov
Strong ground shaking for a magnitude 7 quake typically lasts about 15 seconds. It lasts a minute in a magnitude 8.
How did the earthquake affect the Bay Area?from en.wikipedia.org
Not only did the quake force seismic retrofitting of all Bay Area bridges, it caused enough damage that some parts of the region's freeway system had to be demolished. Damage to the region's transportation system was estimated at $1.8 billion (equivalent to $3.8 billion today).
Where is Loma Prieta Peak?from en.wikipedia.org
Loma Prieta Peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. See also: California earthquake forecast and Earthquake prediction. Since many forecasts had been presented for the region near Loma Prieta, seismologists were not taken by surprise by the October 1989 event.
When was the Loma Prieta earthquake?
See the NIST report, " Performance of Structures During the Loma Prieta Earthquake of October 17, 1989 ," for more information.
How long did the San Andreas earthquake last?
Caused by a slip along the San Andreas Fault, the quake lasted 10–15 seconds and measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale, or 6.9 on the open-ended Richter Scale. The quake killed 63 people throughout northern California, injured 3,757 and left some 3,000-12,000 people homeless.
How many people died in the Loma Prieta earthquake?
63 killed, 3,757 injured. The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on California's Central Coast on October 17 at 5:04 p.m. local time. The shock was centered in The Forest of Nisene Marks State Park in Santa Cruz County, approximately 10 mi (16 km) northeast of Santa Cruz on a section of the San Andreas Fault System and was named for ...
How many people lost power in the San Francisco earthquake?
An estimated 1.4 million people lost power following the quake, mainly due to damaged electrical substations. Many San Francisco radio and television stations were temporarily knocked off the air. KGO-TV, the local ABC station in San Francisco, was off the air for about 15 minutes, while KRON-TV (at the time the region's NBC affiliate) was off the air for about half an hour, and KGO-AM ( ABC News Radio) was off the air for about 40 minutes. About an hour and 40 minutes after the quake, Fox affiliate KTVU resumed broadcasting, with their news anchors, Dennis Richmond and Elaine Corral reporting from the station's parking lot. KCBS-AM ( CBS News Radio) switched immediately to backup power and managed to stay on air despite a subsequent generator failure. KCBS later won a Peabody Award for their news coverage, as did KGO-TV.
What is the most studied fault in California?
The history of earthquake investigations in California has been largely focused on the San Andreas Fault System , due to its strong influence in the state as the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate; it is the most studied fault on Earth. Andrew Lawson, a geologist from the University of California, Berkeley, had named the fault after the San Andreas Lake (prior to the occurrence of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake) and later led an investigation into that event. The San Andreas Fault ruptured for a length of 290 mi (470 km) during the 1906 shock, both to the north of San Francisco and to the south in the Santa Cruz Mountains region. Several long term forecasts for a large shock along the San Andreas Fault in that area had been made public prior to 1989 (the event and its aftershocks occurred within a recognized seismic gap) but the earthquake that transpired was not what had been anticipated. The 1989 Loma Prieta event originated on an undiscovered oblique-slip reverse fault that is located adjacent to the San Andreas Fault.
How did the earthquake affect the Bay Area?
Not only did the quake force seismic retrofitting of all Bay Area bridges, it caused enough damage that some parts of the region's freeway system had to be demolished. Damage to the region's transportation system was estimated at $1.8 billion (equivalent to $3.8 billion today).
Where is Loma Prieta Peak?
Loma Prieta Peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains. See also: California earthquake forecast and Earthquake prediction. Since many forecasts had been presented for the region near Loma Prieta, seismologists were not taken by surprise by the October 1989 event.
What station was on the air after the earthquake?
About an hour and 40 minutes after the quake, Fox affiliate KTVU resumed broadcasting, with their news anchors, Dennis Richmond and Elaine Corral reporting from the station's parking lot. KCBS-AM ( CBS News Radio) switched immediately to backup power and managed to stay on air despite a subsequent generator failure.
Where did the ML 5.3 earthquake occur?
The ML 5.3 June 1988 and the M L 5.4 August 1989 events also occurred on previously unknown oblique reverse faults and were within 3 mi (4.8 km) of the M6.9 Loma Prieta mainshock epicenter, near the intersection of the San Andreas and Sargent faults. Total displacement for these shocks was relatively small (approximately 4 in (100 mm) of strike-slip and substantially less reverse-slip) and although they occurred on separate faults and well before the mainshock, a group of seismologists considered these to be foreshocks due to their location in space and time relative to the main event. Each event's aftershock sequence and effect on stress drop was closely examined, and their study indicated that the shocks affected the mainshock's rupture process. Following the August 8, 1989 shock, in anticipation of an upcoming large earthquake, staff at the University of California, Santa Cruz deployed four accelerometers in the area, which were positioned at the UCSC campus, two residences in Santa Cruz, and a home in Los Gatos. Unlike other nearby (high gain) seismographs that were overwhelmed (driven off scale) by the large magnitude mainshock, the four accelerometers captured a useful record of the main event and more than half an hour of the early aftershock activity.
What was the magnitude of the Loma Prieta earthquake?
The 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake, which occurred 25 years ago on Oct. 17, ended decades of seismic tranquility in the region and was a wakeup call to the region to prepare for even more devastating shocks in the future.
Where is the epicenter of Loma Prieta?
Today, the marker is the only indication that this tranquil redwood forest, located about 10 miles from Santa Cruz, ...
How did the earthquake affect Stanford University?
The quake disrupted a World Series Game, collapsed a double-deck freeway in Oakland and tumbled an upper section of the Bay Bridge. Ultimately the quake killed more than 60 people and caused more than $5 billion in damages. At Stanford, more than 200 campus structures were damaged, some beyond repair. Building restoration took more than a decade to complete and cost nearly $160 million. While there were no deaths or serious injuries on campus, there were close calls. Concrete falling from the Old Chemistry Building, for example, crushed a Ford Granada just seconds after its driver, a chemistry graduate student, left the car.
What campus was the aftermath of Loma Prieta?
The Stanford campus and Bay Area in the aftermath of Loma Prieta.
What happened in 1989?
At the close of a busy workday in the fall of 1989, a fault line buried miles beneath the quiet heart of a redwood forest near Santa Cruz ruptured, generating devastating seismic waves that sped across the Bay Area. The 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake, which occurred 25 years ago on Oct.
What are the causes of landslides in California?
Central California, in the vicinity of San Francisco and Monterey Bays, has a history of fatal and damaging landslides, triggered by heavy rainfall, coastal and stream erosion, construction activity, and earthquakes. The great 1906 San Francisco earthquake ( MS =8.2-8.3) generated more than 10,000 landslides throughout an area of 32,000 km 2; these landslides killed at least 11 people and caused substantial damage to buildings, roads, railroads, and other civil works. Smaller numbers of landslides, which caused more localized damage, have also been reported from at least 20 other earthquakes that have occurred in the San Francisco Bay-Monterey Bay region since 1838. Conditions that make this region particularly susceptible to landslides include steep and rugged topography, weak rock and soil materials, seasonally heavy rainfall, and active seismicity.
What plate is the Summit Ridge?
Plate 4 (A, B, C, and D), Landslide features and coseismic fissures in the Summit Ridge and Skyland areas generated by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake.
Who was the scientist who created the coastal bluff failures in Monterey Bay?
Coastal-bluff failures in northern Monterey Bay induced by the earthquake, by Gary B. Griggs and Nathaniel Plant
Overview
Damage
The earthquake caused severe damage in some very specific locations in the Bay Area, most notably on unstable soil in San Francisco and Oakland. Oakland City Hall was evacuated after the earthquake until a US$80 million (equivalent to US$175 million today) seismic retrofit and hazard abatement work was completed in 1995. Many other communities sustained severe damage throug…
Background
The history of earthquake investigations in California has been largely focused on the San Andreas Fault system because of its strong influence in the state as the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate; it is the most studied fault on Earth. Andrew Lawson, a geologist from the University of California, Berkeley, had named the fault after the San Andreas Lake (prior to th…
Earthquake
The Loma Prieta earthquake was named for Loma Prieta Peak in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which lies just to the east of the mainshock epicenter. The duration of the heaviest shaking in the Santa Cruz Mountains was about 15 seconds, but strong ground motion recordings revealed that the duration of shaking was not uniform throughout the affected area (because of different types and thicknes…
1989 World Series and television coverage of earthquake
The 1989 World Series featured the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants in the first cross-town World Series since 1956. Game 3 of the series was scheduled to begin at San Francisco's Candlestick Park on October 17 at 5:35 PDT, and American TV network ABC began its pre-game show at 5:00 PDT. When the quake struck at approximately 5:04 PDT, sportscaster Tim McCarver was narrating taped highlights of Game 2, which had been played two days prior acros…
In popular culture
The earthquake is featured in films and television shows:
• The events in the TV sitcom Full House episode "Aftershocks" (December 8, 1989) take place following the Loma Prieta earthquake; it centers on 7-year-old Stephanie Tanner having a hard time telling her father Danny about how she fears another aftershock might happen and kill him (since he is a widowed sin…
See also
• 1906 San Francisco earthquake
• 1992 Landers earthquake
• 1994 Northridge earthquake
• 1999 Hector Mine earthquake
External links
• The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.
• A film clip "Loma Prieta Earthquake, ca. 1989" is available at the Internet Archive
• "October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake – United States Geological Survey".