Two of the most destructive earthquakes in history occurred in California. The Loma Prieta earthquake, centered about 100 kilometers south of San Francisco, killed 63 people, injured 3,800 and caused $8 billion in property damage. Five years later the Northridge earthquake in Southern California’s San Fernando Valley caused 60 deaths, 7,000 injuries and caused $43 billion in property damage of which $16.6 billion was insured. Earthquake Preparation Tips | Earthquake Safety Tips | Earthquake Recovery Tips Neither of these catastrophes can be fairly characterized as 'The Big One.' The US Geological Survey and the Southern California Earthquake Center released a study in May 2005, warning that an earthquake on the Puente Hills fault under Los Angeles could kill 18,000 people and cause $250 billion in property damage. If the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake occurred today, it would cause economic damages of $400 billion, according to some estimates. The Loma Prieta and Northridge earthquakes were tragedies of major proportions, from which the affected areas have yet to fully recover, but neither caused a collapse of the American economy. The same cannot be said for a truly catastrophic earthquake that could strike at any time.
Learn more about California’s vulnerability to earthquakes: California Earthquake Authority Governor’s Office of Emergency Service San Francisco Office of Emergency Service Southern California Earthquake Center Northern California Earthquake Data Center California Earthquake Hazards Program | 
