On January 17, 1994, at 4:31 in the afternoon, the Los Angeles neighborhood of Northridge was hit by a 6.7 earthquake. It lasted less than 20 seconds and was followed less than a minute later by a 6.0 aftershock. Between 57 and 60 people died in the quake, and nearly 9,000 were injured with 1,600 who had to be hospitalized. Cal State University at Northridge and the large shopping mall as well as part of the busiest freeway in the world, the Santa Monica Freeway. Landslides ad fires ensued, and as a consequence, there was an outbreak of Valley fever. Additionally, television shows, movies, and music productions were disrupted, as were sports events at Angel Stadium, Disneyland, and flights at LAX. Eleven hospitals in the area were damaged.
Recommended Resources
Disaster Case Study: The Northridge Earthquake of 1994
Offers both the PDF of the case study and an online version. Both versions take into account the characteristics of the quake, mitigating factors prior to the quake, and a damage assessment.
http://www.academia.edu/684114/Disaster_Case_Study_The_Northridge_Earthquake_of_1994
History.com: Northridge Earthquake of 1994
The History Channel's section about the 1994 Northridge earthquake contains a photo gallery, videos, and information about the aftermath and changes effected.
http://www.history.com/topics/northridge-earthquake-of-1994
LA Times: Remembering the Northridge Earthquake of 1994
The Los Angeles Times looks back at the Northridge Quake with photographs and memories of the event.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-northridge-earthquake-pg,0,4568440.photogallery
LAPD: 1994 Northridge Earthquake
The Los Angeles Police Department site lays out the details of the quake as well as their perspective on this disaster, in which one of their own was killed when he rounded a corner on his motorcycle and discovered too late that the road had been severed and there was a 30-foot fall to his death.
http://www.lapdonline.org/history_of_the_lapd/content_basic_view/1133
