1906 San Francisco earthquake
Ruins in the vicinity of Post and Grant Avenue | |
Eureka Dunsmuir Chico Truckee Santa Rosa Salinas Bakersfield Fresno Paso Robles Santa Monica Indio | |
| UTC time | 1906-04-18 13:12:27 |
|---|---|
| ISC event | 16957905 |
| USGS-ANSS | ComCat |
| Local date | April 18, 1906 |
| Local time | 05:12:27 (PST) |
| Magnitude | 7.9 Mw |
| Depth | 5 mi (8.0 km) |
| Epicenter | 37°45′N 122°33′W / 37.75°N 122.55°W |
| Fault | San Andreas Fault |
| Type | Strike-slip |
| Areas affected | North Coast San Francisco Bay Area Central Coast United States |
| Max. intensity | MMI XI (Extreme) |
| Tsunami | Yes |
| Casualties | 700–3,000+ |
The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was a major earthquake which struck the coast of Northern California at 05:12 am Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. With an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (Extreme), it created high-intensity shaking from Eureka on the North Coast to the Salinas Valley, an agricultural region to the south of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Extensive fires soon broke out in San Francisco and lasted for several days. More than 3,000 people died and over 80% of the city was destroyed. The event is remembered as the deadliest earthquake in the history of the United States. The death toll remains the greatest loss of life from a natural disaster in California's history and high on the list of worst American disasters, natural or man-made.