Schools
The Quake of '33
Long Beach's catastrophic temblor permanently changed construction in California.
Date: March 11, 1933 at 5:54 p.m. PST.
Location: Newport-Inglewood fault, in the ocean off Newport Beach.
Magnitude: 6.4. (moderate).
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Intensity: VIII.
Related events: A foreshock near Huntington Beach on March 9 and several aftershocks until March 16. Minor aftershocks for several years on the Newport-Inglewood fault.
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Lives lost: 115.
Property loss: $40 million (estimated).
Affected area: Severe damage in Long Beach, Compton and nearby towns. Damage recorded from Los Angeles to Laguna Beach. Felt in 10 Southern California counties, as far south as Baja California, and as far north and northwest as the Coast Range, the San Joaquin Valley, the Sierra Nevada, and the Owens Valley.
Most vulnerable structures: Weak masonry buildings on landfill and badly designed construction. Concrete highways on marshland.
Surface faulting: None.
Historic significance: Similar in magnitude and intensity to California earthquakes of July 28, 1769, Dec. 8, 1812 and July 11, 1855. Severe damage to several schools led to the Field Act, which regulates in California.
Source: U.S. Geological Survey
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/events/1933_03_11.php
For more by California Watch and Patch regarding their joint investigation: