Problem 19 The 1906 earthquake in San Franc... [FREE SOLUTION] (2024)

FAQs

What was the response to the San Francisco earthquake in 1906? ›

Army troops stationed at the Presidio, now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, responded within hours. They maintained order, fought fires, established communications, gave medical treatment, and provided food, shelter and sanitation.

As a basic reference about the earthquake and the damage it caused, geologic observations of the fault rupture and shaking effects, and other consequences of the earthquake, the Lawson (1908) report remains the authoritative work, as well as arguably the most important study of a single earthquake.

The survivors slept in tents in city parks and the Presidio, stood in long lines for food, and were required to do their cooking in the street to minimize the threat of additional fires. The San Francisco earthquake is considered one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.

The inferno destroyed some 28,000 buildings, and the total property value loss was estimated at $350 million. Some 700 people originally were thought to have died in the disaster, but the death toll is now believed to have exceeded 3,000.

Despite its utter devastation, San Francisco quickly recovered thanks to the help of some mighty machinery. Considered modern technology at the time, steam-powered equipment helped clean up the mess caused by the quake.

Answer and Explanation: There was no significant warning before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The only notice of a potentially large seismic event was a foreshock that occurred only 20 to 25 seconds before the major earthquake hit.

It ruptured 477 km (296 mi) along the San Andreas Fault. People felt shaking from Oregon in the Pacific Northwest to Los Angeles and from the inland to central Nevada. Its magnitude is estimated at 7.9, but values up to 8.25 have been proposed.

The 1906 earthquake and the Lawson report demonstrated the importance of accurate, widespread and repeated observations of earthquakes, their effects, and the faults on which they occur. The report provided the basis for much of what is now known about earthquakes in California.

1 – Valdivia, Chile, 1960

The biggest earthquake ever recorded occurred in 1960 near the city of Valdivia, Chile. With a magnitude of 9.5, it was one of the deadliest earthquakes in history, killing an estimated 5,700. The quake struck at around 15:00 local time and lasted for 10 minutes.

Devastating fires soon broke out in San Francisco and lasted for several days. More than 3,000 people died, and over 80% of the city was destroyed.

Why was the 1906 earthquake so devastating? ›

The quake was caused by a slip of the San Andreas Fault over a segment about 275 miles long, and shock waves could be felt from southern Oregon down to Los Angeles. San Francisco's brick buildings and wooden Victorian structures were especially devastated.

Most Americans still earned their livings in agriculture in 1906. However, an increasing number were drawn to the steady paychecks offered in factories, mills, and mines. Industrial workers need places to live and cities grew. In some mill towns and cities, workers lived in tightly packed row houses.

So, while the most likely time for a 1906-like earthquake to strike again is perhaps late in the next century, there is a small chance (about 2 percent) that it could happen in the next 30 years.

Monetary Loss - More than $400 million.

The Flood Building was one of the few buildings to survive the 1906 earthquake and subsequent fire in downtown San Francisco (Old St. Mary's Cathedral being another). "The Baldwin Hotel & Theater (owned by historical figure "Lucky" Baldwin) occupied the site of today's Flood Building.

Over 80% of the city was destroyed by the earthquake and fire. Though San Francisco rebuilt quickly, the disaster diverted trade, industry, and population growth south to Los Angeles, which during the 20th century became the largest and most important urban area in the West.

The San Andreas fault today has locked and creeping segments along its approximately 800 mile (1300 km) length in California. The 1906 earthquake ruptured all locked segments of the fault in northern California.

San Francisco was hardest hit, with more than 80 percent of the city's buildings destroyed and approximately 3,000 killed from collapsed buildings, falling debris, and the fires that followed. As many as 225,000 people—more than half the city's population—became homeless.

3,000

1906 San Francisco earthquake / Number of deaths