This earthquake that occurred due to a slide in the San Andreas Fault is also known as World Series Quake or officially the Loma Prieta quake based on the name of the Loma Prieta Peak.The San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge that got damaged when the earthquake struck was open to traffic just six months prior to the Golden Gate Bridge. The Loma Prieta quake happened on October 17 in the year 1989, at around 5:04 p.m in the evening in the San Francisco Bay region of California.The quake lasted 10-15 seconds and was caused by a slide along the San Andreas Fault. The amount of harm from this quake was lower because of the World Series game. As fewer people were on the roads during the rush hour traffic, and many had already left work early to sit in front of their television networks to watch the third game of the series that night in the Candlestick park of the San Francisco area. It is interesting to note that the two world series teams that year were the Bay area teams.The baseball championship between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants was postponed for ten days due to substantial damage in both cities. Almost 1,300 buildings were destroyed, and 20,000 were damaged, according to estimates. The quake was felt as far as Western Nevada and San Deigo. A tsunami arrived around 10 minutes after the earthquake began, but later shreds of evidence show that it did not happen due to the direct impact of the quake. The epicenter was 8.6 mi (14 km) northeast of Santa Cruz and 59.6 mi (96 km) south-southeast of San Francisco, near the Loma Prieta peak in the Mountains. President George H.W Bush of America was deeply saddened observing the after effects of the quake and the loss and damages of property and human lives.If you find the following facts interesting, then do check out our articles on 1985 earthquake In Mexico and big earthquakes in California to explore some more fascinating facts and information.Monetary Loss: 1989 San Francisco EarthquakeNorthern California was shaken by an earthquake of a magnitude of 7.1 on the Richter scale on October 17, 1989. The quake, which was centered in the Loma Prieta area of the Santa Cruz Mountains, south of the San Francisco Bay Area, caused severe damage not only in surrounding cities like Santa Cruz and Watsonville but also in major cities like Oakland and San Francisco.The Loma Prieta earthquake is thought to be the most expensive and the strongest earthquake in history, although causing comparatively few casualties. In terms of property damage to physical structures, the earthquake was estimated to cost about $6 billion. The damage totaled nearly two-thirds of a year’s worth of building permits and considerable construction activity across the region. The estimated economic damage in San Francisco was about four times that of 1989 building and heavy construction activities. Santa Cruz sustained damage equal to nearly double its average construction activity. Not only did the quake compel all Bay Area bridges to be seismically retrofitted, but it also caused enough damage that portions of the region’s motorway system had to be dismantled. The cost of repairing the region’s transport system was anticipated to be $1.8 billion.More than 1 percent of San Francisco Bay Area businesses were in damaged buildings, although just 0.015 percent were declared destroyed. San Mateo County had the most businesses damaged, while Alameda County had the most businesses destroyed among the Bay Area counties. The most severe effects on businesses were seen in Santa Cruz County, where more than a quarter of businesses were damaged, and five percent had structures demolished.Loss Of Human Capital: 1989 San Francisco EarthquakeThe 1989 San Francisco earthquake or the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake was one of the most devastating earthquakes in the state’s earthquake series history, with a huge loss of human capital. An estimated 12,000 individuals were displaced as a result of the quake. The epicenter of the quake was in Santa Cruz County’s Forest of Nisene Marks State Park.Due to the earthquake, around 7,100 workers were laid off. Because not all workers are qualified for unemployment benefits, the true number might be greater. This interruption lasted a maximum of four months, with a direct potential loss of $54 million in wages and salaries, resulting in a minimum possible loss of $110 million in gross production (including wages and salaries) during that time. The economic loss and the loss of human capital were recovered in the next few quarters, but the loss amount was quite high.Re-establishing Cost: 1989 San Francisco EarthquakeThe earthquake had a big monetary loss economically, and the re-establishing cost after the earthquake was extremely high as many streets, bridges, and buildings had to be reconstructed.Almost 27,000 structures were damaged during the quake. The historic 16th Street Station in Oakland city was severely damaged, and due to the significant damage, it was left structurally unsound. The Marina District was the primary area that was affected. The insured loss amount was recorded to be $3 billion if estimated according to the present dollar value. The highest GRP lost as a result of the Lorna Prieta earthquake is estimated to be between $181 million and $725 million.Total Casualty: 1989 San Francisco EarthquakeNearly 4,000 people were hurt, and the death toll was 63; the majority of them were killed when the Cypress highway structure in Oakland collapsed. Most of the earthquake-related deaths, almost 42, were caused by Cypress Street Viaduct (Nimitz Freeway) collapsed in Oakland city.A span of the upper deck of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge was also damaged when it fell. Entire chunks of the freeway’s top deck crashed right onto the lower deck, killing more than two dozen automobiles and their passengers in the process. 57 people died directly as a result of the earthquake, while six more died as a result of the earthquake’s indirect effects. One person Anamafi Moala, a 23-year-old woman, was killed when a 50 ft (15.24 m) piece of the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge fell. Buildings near the Pacific Garden Mall in Santa Cruz collapsed, killing three people, while a brick wall’s collapse on Bluxome Street in San Francisco killed five people.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for 1989 San Francisco earthquake facts then why not take a look at biggest earthquake in Los Angeles or California earthquakes.
This earthquake that occurred due to a slide in the San Andreas Fault is also known as World Series Quake or officially the Loma Prieta quake based on the name of the Loma Prieta Peak.
