1933 Long Beach earthquake

1933 Long Beach earthquake

Los Angeles
Magnitude	6.4 ṃ
Depth	10 km (6.2 mi)
Epicenter
Type	Strike-slip
Areas affected	South Coast (California) United States
Total damage	$40 million
Max. intensity	VIII (Severe)
Casualties	115–120 killed

File:1933 Long Beach earthquake damage 1.jpg

Damage to the John Muir School, Pacific Avenue, Long Beach

File:Architect and engineer (1934) (14578209967).jpg

Damaged buildings throughout Long Beach

The 1933 Long Beach earthquake took place on March 10 at 5:54 P.M. PST south of downtown Los Angeles. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach, California, on the Newport–Inglewood Fault. The earthquake had a magnitude estimated at 6.4 ṃ, and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). Damage to buildings was widespread throughout Southern California. 115 to 120 fatalities and an estimated forty million dollars' worth of property damage resulted. The majority of the fatalities resulted from people running out of buildings exposing themselves to the falling debris.

Damage

File:Compton Junior High School, 1933.jpg

Compton High school

The major damage occurred in the densely-populated city of Long Beach on the south-facing coast of Los Angeles County. However, the damage was also found to have extended to the industrial area south of downtown Los Angeles. The magnitude of the earthquake is considered to be medium but a significant amount of damage was left due to unfavorable geological conditions (landfill, water-soaked alluvium) combined with poorly constructed buildings. In Long Beach, buildings collapsed, water tanks fell through roofs, and houses were tossed off their foundations. School buildings were among the structures that incurred the most severe damage. It was recognized that unreinforced masonry bearing walls is the reason for school buildings suffering so much damage in the wake of the earthquake.

Aftermath

The earthquake highlighted the need for earthquake-resistant design for structures in California. Many school buildings were damaged, with more than 230 school buildings that either were destroyed, suffered major damage, or were judged unsafe to occupy. The California State Legislature passed the Field Act on April 10, 1933, mandating that school buildings must be earthquake-resistant. If the earthquake had occurred during school hours, the death toll would have been much higher.

This earthquake prompted the government to play an active role in disaster relief. The government created The Reconstruction Finance Corporation, providing loans for the reconstruction of buildings that were affected during the natural disaster. The Bureau of Public Roads also took action to rebuild roads, highways, and bridges. The economy of Long Beach was able to return to normal swiftly because of the rise of the aircraft industry. To support the World War II efforts, Long Beach created naval yards and increased the number of aircraft produced. This directly helped Long Beach repair and stabilize the economy after the disaster.

Popular culture

The 1933 film Headline Shooter, uses newsreel footage of the Long Beach earthquake.

The earthquake plays a major part in the novel The Last Tycoon (1941), by F. Scott Fitzgerald. During the disruption caused by the quake, the hero, Monroe Stahr, meets Kathleen Moore, with whom he falls in love.

See also

• List of earthquakes in 1933
• List of earthquakes in California
• List of earthquakes in the United States

External links

• USGS Historical Earthquakes – Long Beach, California – United States Geological Survey
• 75th Anniversary of the 1933 Long Beach Earthquake – California Department of Conservation
• National Information Service on Earthquake engineering page about Long Beach earthquake – National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering
• Catastrophe: A Bad One – Time
• Long Beach Earthquake: March 10, 1933 Cloyd E. Louis – Internet Archive
• The International Seismological Centre has a bibliography and/or authoritative data for this event.