30th anniversary of Northridge earthquake: Are we prepared for the next disaster?
On the 30th anniversary of the Northridge Earthquake, the Los Angeles Fire Department is urging residents to prepare for future temblors and other natural disasters.
The magnitude-6.7 Northridge Earthquake struck in the early morning hours of Jan. 17, 1994.
After the dust settled, at least 57 people were dead, some put the death toll at 61, and 11,846 people in Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties were treated at hospitals. Property losses were pegged at $40 billion.
It was the costliest disaster in U.S. history. Insured losses were estimated at $12.5 billion. Aid from the federal government was estimated at $13 billion.
In Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties, a total of 114,039 residential and commercial structures were damaged. But only 9,001 of those were in Ventura County, and just 19 were in Orange County, according to local business departments.
The quake, which struck at five seconds before 4:31 a.m., affected an area covering 2,192 square miles. It was the first temblor to knock out power in every area of the vast metropolis of Los Angeles. The floor of the San Fernando Valley was completely blacked out after the shaking stopped, except for a few fires visible for miles.
On Wednesday morning, LAFD Chief Kristin Crowley and other department officials will gather to look back on that fateful day and discuss their experiences responding to the disaster. They'll discuss efforts to rescue people buried in rubble and to help the city recover from the devastating event.
Crowley and other officials will also use the occasion to remind residents to be prepared for the next major quake or other disaster.
"The LAFD would like to use the 30th year anniversary, as an important public call to preparedness," according to a statement from the agency. "We want our citizens to take away from the lessons learned from the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, and develop a proactive preparedness mindset." In downtown Los Angeles Wednesday, Caltrans officials will gather to commemorate the work of "public servants who worked to safely rebuild the highways following the disaster."
According to Caltrans, the event will include the opening of an exhibit at the agency's downtown headquarters documenting the quake and the transportation-worker response, including photographs, historical documents and newspaper clippings.
The exhibit will be open to the public and will remain on display for four weeks.
Earthquake resources
How to prepare for an earthquake
Earthquake safety: What should you do before an earthquake?
Seven steps to earthquake safety
