36 years since the Loma Prieta earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area

OAKLAND, Calif. — Friday marked 36 years since the Loma Prieta earthquake struck the Bay Area, killing 63 people and injuring thousands. The 6.9 magnitude earthquake lasted 20 seconds, striking at 5:04 p.m. as the San Francisco Giants faced the Oakland A's in the 1989 World Series.

The devastating earthquake sparked more than 40 fires and caused nearly $7 billion in damage in the Gulf region. San Francisco's Marina District was particularly hard hit because it was built on a landfill.

Epicenter

The epicenter of the quake was along the San Andreas Fault, about 56 miles south of San Francisco and 10 miles north of Santa Cruz, according to the California Department of Environmental Conservation.

The agency says the earthquake was felt as far south as San Diego and western Nevada.

The Gulf region was hit by hundreds of aftershocks in the week following the 6.9 magnitude earthquake. Those aftershocks included a 5.2-magnitude earthquake about two minutes after the initial quake.

The state said that more than 18,000 homes were damaged in the earthquake and 963 homes were completely destroyed.

Another 2,575 businesses were damaged, and 147 were destroyed.

In addition to the damaged buildings, part of the I-880 freeway in Oakland and part of the Bay Bridge collapsed during the quake.

Many Bay Area residents still remember that day.

Steve Walter was a scientist in 1989 at the USGS Earthquake Research Center in Menlo Park.

“We looked up and there was a crack in the wall above us, and so on [we thought] “Well, it's time to do something,” he said. So we got up and stood in the doorway.

Now, 36 years later, research by USGS seismologists has helped the public better understand the risks to the Bay Area, Walter says.

What he's concerned about now is the impact the current government shutdown will have on the USGS' seismic science program.

“It's not just furloughs, there have been layoffs as well,” Walter said. “We are losing seismologists and future scientists who are continuing the research and expanding it further.”

Earthquake risk today

Walter says the cuts could impact not only early warning systems, but also the science and research needed to monitor fault lines, like the Hayward Fault, which has been hit by two small earthquakes in the past three weeks.

He says the Hayward Fault has not had a major earthquake since 1868, and one is likely to strike in the future.

“It will be much worse than Loma Prieta, even though it will be about the same size,” Walter said.

He noted that the epicenter of the Loma Prieta earthquake was in a remote mountainous area, while Hayward is more densely populated.

“Hayward is located in the middle of the most populated area on the West Coast,” Walter said.

According to the Berkeley Seismology Laboratory, the Bay Area has a 72% chance of a major earthquake greater than 6.7 magnitude between now and 2044.

The key to staying safe when a major earthquake strikes is preparation, the lab says.

Loma Prieta earthquake: Bay Bridge buckles

Part of the upper deck of the Bay Bridge broke off and fell to the lower level during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. These images were recorded from the water and on the bridge shortly after the earthquake.

Preparation and resources

Before an earthquake strikes, experts advise identifying potential hazards in your home, creating a disaster preparedness plan, gathering a disaster kit and looking for potential weak points in your home or building and repairing them.

On Friday, students at Guadalupe Elementary School in San Francisco participated in emergency drills with Mayor Daniel Lurie, sheltering under desks.

“We're all in this together. It takes all of us to be prepared. We want you to make a plan, and we want you to be prepared,” the mayor said.

San Francisco's emergency management executive says it's not a matter of if a big earthquake will happen, but when it will happen.

“Let us take this day as we think [about] “What happened in 1989 was you made a plan, sat down with your family and talked about what you would do in the event of an earthquake,” said Mary Ellen Carroll, executive director of the San Francisco Department of Emergency Management.

In California, homeowners can receive up to $3,000 for earthquake rehabilitation as part of the California Residential Disaster Mitigation Program and Earthquake Brace + Bolt Program. The program helps with seismic retrofitting, which “attaches” your home’s foundation to the house frame and addresses what experts call “failed walls” with plywood.

In 2019, California launched an earthquake warning system via the MyShake app, which was developed at the University of California, Berkeley.

This technology does not predict earthquakes, but it allows earthquake warnings to be issued seconds before the earthquake begins.

Source: Previous reports, Berkeley Seismology Laboratory, California Department of Environmental Conservation and MyShake app, interviews with Steve Walter, retired USGS scientist.

Topshot – The facade of an apartment building in San Francisco's Marina District was ripped off on October 21, 1989 after an earthquake occurred on October 17, killing an estimated 63 people and causing US$1 billion in damage. It was 5.04pm

Remnants of the Cypress Expressway, which ran through central Oakland, following the 1989 San Francisco, or Loma Prieta, earthquake. (Photo by Jim Sugar/Corbis via Getty Images)

TOPSHOT – Search and rescue support workers Tim Schilwacher (left) and Mamdouch Shaaban embrace on Oct. 21, 1989 near the Cypress structure above 28th Street and Cypress Avenue, shortly after a man was rescued alive there. A strong earthquake shook the city of Saint-Francois

(Original commentary) San Francisco: Brett Butler of the Giants leads his family out of Candlestick Park after an earthquake canceled Game 3 of the World Series.

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – OCTOBER 27: A banner reading “Welcome Back to Game 3 of the 1989 World Series” is displayed before the third World Series game between the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants on October 27, 1989 at Candlestick Park in San Frank's

1989: Loma Prieta earthquake causes the Bay Bridge to collapse. BART has been running 24-hour cross-bay transit service for two months, keeping the Bay Area connected. (Courtesy: Bart)

San francisco auckland earthquakes

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