Santa Clarita Residents Remember The Northridge Earthquake

The Northridge earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.7 struck 28 years ago Monday, which cut off Santa Clarita from the Los Angeles Basin.

On Monday Jan. 17, 1994, residents were suddenly woken to the sound of their house and beds shaking, glass breaking and several other sounds that are not typically heard on a normal Monday morning.

The quake was called the Northridge Earthquake, it was centered under the City of Reseda, a city to Northridge, with a magnitude of 6.7.

“The Northridge Earthquake killed 60 people, injured more than 7,000 people and damaged more than 40,000 buildings,” according to the United States Geological Survey.

After the earthquake struck, one of the several major roads impacted was the State Route 14 interchange to the Interstate 5 Freeway, which had collapsed.

The interchange was also the site of Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Officer Clarence Wayne Dean’s death, and is honored under his name. Dean died from a 40 foot fall off the collapsed freeway. While driving on the freeway early that morning he was unable to see that the freeway collapsed, and failed to stop before falling and dying on impact, according to the officer down memory page.

The 5 Freeway through the Newhall Pass remained closed for nearly six months, cutting off the Santa Clarita and Antelope Valleys from the Los Angeles Basin.

Metrolink was also closed for about one week due to the railroad tracks being damaged.

Recently, the northern part of Los Angeles County briefly was reminded of what it was like in 1994, with the entire 5 Freeway shutdown through the Newhall pass during the Saddleridge Fire in October of 2019.

In 1994, residents relied more on the radio to get updates on the news unlike today with stories and updates being sent straight to their smartphones.

With no internet, and only a few cell phones, KHTS Radio, then broadcasting under the name of KBET, became a valuable resource for residents in the Santa Clarita Valley and surrounding communities.

“Back then, we had limited cell phones and no Internet, so AM-1220 (then KBET) was the vital communication link for Santa Clarita,” shared KHTS owner, Carl Goldman in a previous story. “We broadcast all earthquakes all the time from the time of the quake in January through late June when the I-5 and 14 Freeway interchange re-opened. Santa Clarita was sealed off for many months. We provided critical information and also served as a psychological crutch as listeners shared their fears and challenges.”

The US Geological Survey (USGS) reports that there is a 60 percent chance of a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in the next 30 years in Los Angeles.

The likelihood of an earthquake in Los Angeles of magnitude 7.0 or 7.5 in the next 30 years is 46 percent and 31 percent, according to the agency.

“A major disaster, like a 7.2 earthquake, will overwhelm our resources,” said Aram Sahakian, general manager for the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department in a previous story. “You as a person, your family and your neighborhood need to be prepared to get no response if you call 911. You need to be able to survive on your own for hours or days.”

In the years since the Northridge earthquake, organizations both public and private have worked to advance the cause of earthquake preparedness.

“For every emergency incident, we activate our emergency blog at santaclaritaemergency.com,” said City of Santa Clarita Spokesperson Carrie Lujan in a previous story. “The blog has tabs for evacuation information, shelter locations, road closures and all the most updated information in an emergency situation.”

As a result of the earthquake, the Great California Shakeout began in 2008 as a statewide annual earthquake safety drill conducted in homes, businesses and schools.

The Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management offered the following tips to prepare for an earthquake:

Before an Earthquake

Create family and workplace emergency plans for contacting each other if separated. Know evacuation routes. Make a disaster supply kit with enough food, water and medications for at least 10 days. Secure items on walls (televisions, monitors, bookcases, etc.) and store heavy and breakable items. Inspect the outside of your home for items that could be damaged or that could fall and cause injury. Acquire additional training, such as first aid, CPR or Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). Consider earthquake insurance if you own a home. If you own property, consider retrofitting your buildings to correct structural issues.

During an Earthquake

Drop, cover and hold on. If in bed, stay there and cover your face and neck with a pillow. If in a vehicle, pull over and stop in a safe area, set the parking brake and stay in the vehicle. Do not use elevators. Expect fire alarms and sprinklers to activate. Do not get into a doorway, as you can expose yourself to falling debris.

After an Earthquake

Expect aftershocks after a large quake. Check yourself for injuries and aid others if trained. If you’re in a damaged building, when instructed and safe to do so, go outside and move away from the building to the designated safe zones or areas. Don’t enter damaged buildings. Save phone calls for emergencies. If you are in an area that may experience tsunamis, go inland or to higher ground immediately after the shaking stops. Once safe, monitor local news reports via radio, television, social media and cell phone text alerts for emergency information and instructions.

For more information on earthquake preparedness, visit the website for the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management here.

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KHTS FM 98.1 and AM 1220 is Santa Clarita’s only local radio station. KHTS mixes in a combination of news, traffic, sports, and features along with your favorite adult contemporary hits. Santa Clarita news and features are delivered throughout the day over our airwaves, on our website and through a variety of social media platforms. Our KHTS national award-winning daily news briefs are now read daily by 34,000+ residents. A vibrant member of the Santa Clarita community, the KHTS broadcast signal reaches all of the Santa Clarita Valley and parts of the high desert communities located in the Antelope Valley. The station streams its talk shows over the web, reaching a potentially worldwide audience. Follow @KHTSRadio on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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