By Arianna Avitia-Gutierrez

Thirty years ago, on January 17, 1994, the deadly 6.7 magnitude Northridge earthquake hit the San Fernando Valley, which was estimated to have killed over 70 people and injured 9,000 more. Today, we look back on this tragedy and discuss what safety precautions Los Angeles has taken since in response to the next possible “big earthquake.”

The Northridge earthquake was a blind thrust earthquake caused by a dip-slip on the Northridge Blind Thrust Fault. This type of fault is not detected on Earth’s surface and is not usually recorded by standard geological mapping either, making them all the more shocking. The quakes these faults trigger tend to be highly destructive since their waves are directed toward the Earth’s surface. 

Due to the extreme strength of the Northridge earthquake, the subsequent $20 billion in economic losses made it the most expensive earthquake in U.S. history. Buildings crumbled to the ground, gas lines ruptured, and freeways collapsed. In the aftermath, many camped outside of their homes in tents, scared to go back inside their homes. Thousands of people were even left homeless. 

“During the Northridge earthquake, my family was awoken in the early morning,” science teacher Wendy. Hagan said. “The house was shaking, the floor appeared to be rolling, my house shifted off the foundation and my pool and water heater flooded my house.  Lots of cracks appeared, a couple windows broke, all of our dishes and my mom’s china broke, and our fence out back fell. My street outside had cracks, a gas line broke and you could see a fire down the street, and water flooding outside our door.  We had to move out for eight months following the earthquake. Luckily, my family was safe.”

As a direct response, organizations like the Red Cross quickly helped those in need by serving meals, providing shelter, and offering mental health counseling. Additionally, the City of Los Angeles took similar measures by providing clean water, assisting with traffic jams, and restoring power. 

Today, many fear another big earthquake is on its way, calling the phenomenon the “Big One.” According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), it is estimated that there is a 70 percent chance of one or more earthquakes with a magnitude of 6.7 or higher hitting before 2030. Though we are unsure about when the Big One will happen, scientists observe that it would cause catastrophic damage to Southern California. 

So, how has California begun to prepare for such an event when we do not know when it will come? Well, earthquake insurance, known as the California Earthquake Authority, readily became available two years after the Northridge quake as a response to the severe losses the 1994 quake brought. Then, in 2015, Los Angeles enacted their mandatory retrofit ordinance for the city’s most vulnerable buildings, amounting to about 15,000 buildings. This reinforced buildings with the proper materials to better withstand strong earthquakes and prevent injury. Caltrans also invested $10 million in retrofitting freeways after the earthquake to prevent them from failing again, according to NBC News. 

Most importantly, the Northridge earthquake forever changed the way seismologists view blind thrust earthquakes. Scientists are now better able to document faults in LA and even established an early warning system, which can detect earthquakes early on and send public alerts. 

“Up until Northridge, we would have said you couldn’t have that big an earthquake on a blind fault, that if it’s a big enough fault to give you a big earthquake, it has to come all the way through to the service,” Californian seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones said. “We had to revise that idea.”

Los Angeles schools have also taken various precautions within the last 30 years to prepare for the arrival of the Big One. Firstly, in 2008, the annual Great Shakeout Drill was implemented in Southern California, which encouraged schools, government and office buildings, and other public facilities to practice earthquake safety. Schools were also retrofitted, for example, replacing pendant lighting systems that were easily susceptible to earthquakes with safer lighting alternatives. 

The Northridge Earthquake taught Southern California a tough lesson, but we have learned and grown from it since. Now, California is on the right track toward ensuring the safety of all its residents in the face of any possible earthquakes on the way.