Significant Earthquakes

Orange County, California

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Significant Earthquakes Centered in
Orange County

NOTE: In the event of an earthquake, the safest place to be is not in a doorway, but under a table.

Year Date Location Time Richter Deaths & Property Damage

1812 Dec 8 L.A. Area 3:00pm 7.0 40 deaths, Mission San Juan Capistrano severely to moderately damaged. Mission San Gabriel moderately damaged.

1855 Jul 11 L.A. Area 4:15am 6.0 Bells of Mission San Gabriel torn down. 26 buildings damaged in L.A.

1933 Mar 10 Long Beach 5:54pm 6.4 120 deaths; $50 million

1951 Dec 25 San Clemente Island 4:46pm 5.9 No deaths; No appreciable damage

1987 Oct 1 Whittier-Narrows 7:42am 5.9 8 deaths; $358 million

About 30 earthquakes occur every day in Southern California. Most have a magnitude of less than 2.0.

No evidence exists that earthquakes are more likely to occur in certain kinds of weather.

An excellent publication on earthquakes and earthquake safety in Southern California is Putting Down Roots in Earthquake County by the Southern California Earthquake Center. You may read the publication online or contact the Center (phone 213-740-5843, fax 213-740-0011, or e-mail scec@usc.edu) to request an order form by mail or fax.

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