Oral+History+Research

**Interview subject** - Diane Schlesinger (my mother)
 * Topic ** - The Los Angeles Earthquake of 1994

At 4:30 AM, January 17th, 1994, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck the city of Los Angeles. This was the third major earthquake to happen in California in a period of 23 years. The other two were the 1971 San Fernando Valley and the 1989 San Francisco-Oakland earthquakes. This earthquake - officially, the Northridge earthquake - was the most destructive one in the state since the San Francisco earthquake way back in 1906. The Northridge was the costliest earthquake in U.S. history. The amount of people that died is still debated today - ranging from just under 60 to above 70. However, most agree the number was about 60 or so. The deaths were not the only tragedies of the quake - 7,000 people were injured, 20,000 were left homeless, and more than 40,000 buildings in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange County, and San Bernardino County were damaged. Buildings with a softer first floor - like ones made of wood - suffered more than those with firmer foundations. In reflection, it was a good thing that this happened earlier in the day, as most citizens were in bed and not on the freeways to work which would have collapsed with them in it.

From January 17th to December 31st of 1994, 11,030 aftershocks were recorded by the Southern California Seismic Network. Most of these were too small to feel, however more than 400 were large enough. Eight of the aftershocks had a magnitude between 5.0 and 5.9. 48 had a magnitude between 4.0 and 4.9. 367 had a magnitude between 3.0 and 3.9. While some of these could also be clearly felt, they certainly were not large enough to create the type of damage the 6.7 original quake did.

In addition to the mass destruction, several sports games were postponed (the scoreboard at Angel Stadium in Anaheim fell into the seats), multiple amusement parks were closed, and many television networks, recording companies, radio lines, and movie sets were temporarily shut down. This is one of the ways the earthquake affected other people across the nation and even the world. A lot of things came out of Los Angeles, and whether it was business or entertainment, the rest of the population felt the effect of the earthquake as well.











Sources:


 * INFORMATION**

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1994_01_17.php http://www.data.scec.org/chrono_index/northreq.html http://media.caltech.edu/press_releases/11608 http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1138712/Northridge-earthquake-of-1994


 * IMAGES**

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-northridge-earthquake-pg,0,4568440.photogallery