9.51 1906 San Francisco Earthquake Facts

About one minute was all it took took to rock San Francisco to its core. Let’s explore the San Francisco earthquake of 1906, how it felt, and how the city recovered and revived itself in the aftermath.

The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

The San Andreas Fault is a huge fault line that spans (a fault is a crack in Earth’s bedrock) more than 800 miles through California. When a fault ruptures, the bedrock on either side of the crack can move, causing an earthquake, and that’s precisely what happened on the morning of April 18, 1906.

At 5:12 a.m., about 296 miles of the San Andreas Fault running right along San Francisco ruptured, creating one of the most devastating earthquakes in recent history. There were only two major tremors, or shaking events, that lasted a total of about 1 minute, but they caused massive destruction. Of the 400,000 San Franciscans at the time, about 3,000 died and 225,000 were left homeless.

The earthquake destroyed homes and other buildings throughout San Francisco.
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1. Main points:

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was a catastrophic event caused by the rupture of the San Andreas Fault, a major fault line in California. The earthquake, which lasted about a minute, resulted in massive destruction, with approximately 3,000 deaths and 225,000 people left homeless in San Francisco.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What is the San Andreas Fault and how did it cause the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?
• Thematic Analysis: What was the extent of the damage caused by the 1906 earthquake?
• Socio-cultural Analysis: How did the 1906 earthquake impact the population of San Francisco?

3. Further Discussion:

• What measures can be taken in cities near major fault lines to reduce the impact of potential earthquakes?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "The San Andreas Fault is a huge fault line… When a fault ruptures, the bedrock on either side of the crack can move, causing an earthquake."
• Thematic Analysis: "There were only two major tremors… that lasted a total of about 1 minute, but they caused massive destruction."
• Socio-cultural Analysis: "Of the 400,000 San Franciscans at the time, about 3,000 died and 225,000 were left homeless."

Experiencing the Earthquake

The epicenter, or center point of the earthquake, was just 2 miles west of San Francisco in the Pacific Ocean and could be felt for 100 miles away. It began with a light rumble followed by the first tremor that shook San Franciscans for about 25 seconds. Then, there was a 10-second calm before the second tremor began. This one was much stronger and lasted about 40 seconds. People described it as the Earth swaying, and all around, buildings tilted, crumbled and fell. By the end of the quake, 28,000 buildings had collapsed.

After the earthquake, fires broke out throughout the city.
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While earthquakes are devastating, many people don’t realize that damage continues to occur during the aftershocks, which are smaller quakes following a major earthquake. Aftershocks lasted for hours, and during this time, fires began to rage throughout the city. Fires continued burning for three days and nights, adding to the destruction. Water pipes burst, sewer pipes were damaged, streets buckled and railways were destroyed. It was difficult for firefighters and other first responders to get to the areas impacted the most.

Recovering From Natural Disaster

The Red Cross and U.S. Army were immediately sent in to provide relief. Despite relief efforts, finding shelter, food and clean water quickly became a struggle. Many people chose to leave the city, but others stayed and lived in tents that had been brought as temporary living quarters. About 6 months after the earthquake, relief cottages were built for people who were staying in tents or wanted to move back to the city.

In the aftermath of the earthquake, people temporarily lived in tents.
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The damage cost San Francisco $400 million, which is equal to more than $8 billion today. But the city rebuilt at a surprising speed, and by 1915, the city invited the world to come visit for an international exposition to celebrate it reconstruction. The city also learned important lessons from the 1906 earthquake about the design of its buildings, and today, many techniques are implemented to prevent buildings from crumbling and to reduce destruction in the case of an earthquake.

1. Main points:

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake, with its epicenter near the city, caused massive destruction, including the collapse of 28,000 buildings. The aftermath included hours of aftershocks and devastating fires. Relief efforts were undertaken by the Red Cross and U.S. Army, but the city faced challenges in providing shelter, food, and water. San Francisco quickly rebuilt, learning valuable lessons in building design to mitigate future earthquake damage, and by 1915, it showcased its recovery in an international exposition.

2. Questions:

• Content Analysis: What were the immediate effects of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake?
• Thematic Analysis: How did the city of San Francisco respond and recover from the earthquake?
• Socio-cultural Analysis: What long-term changes occurred in San Francisco as a result of the earthquake?

3. Further Discussion:

• What modern engineering techniques are used in earthquake-prone areas to minimize damage?

4. Answers:

• Content Analysis: "The first tremor shook San Franciscans for about 25 seconds… By the end of the quake, 28,000 buildings had collapsed."
• Thematic Analysis: "The Red Cross and U.S. Army provided relief… About 6 months after the earthquake, relief cottages were built."
• Socio-cultural Analysis: "The city rebuilt at a surprising speed… The city also learned important lessons from the 1906 earthquake about the design of its buildings."

Lesson Summary

At 5:12 a.m on April 18, 1906, one of the most significant earthquakes in history rocked the city of San Francisco. It caused 3,000 deaths, left 225,000 homeless and caused $400 million in damages. Thanks to relief efforts and motivation to rebuild, the city celebrated its reconstruction less than 10 years later.