Anniversaries of Notable California Earthquakes

(M > 6.5 or that caused loss of life or more than $200,000* in damage)

*Damage estimates have not been adjusted for inflation.

Note: This list is not comprehensive in that it does not include sizeable aftershocks and foreshocks. It also includes M 7.0 and larger events outside of but within approximately 100 miles of California.

Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
January
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Jan. 9, 1857	7.9	36.20	-120.80	Great Fort Tejon earthquake	1 dead; damage from Monterey to San Bernardino County
Jan. 17, 1994	6.7	34.21	-118.54	Northridge	57 dead; more than 9,000 injured; about $40 billion in property damage
Jan. 22, 1923	7.2	40.40	-124.90	Off Cape Mendocino	Destructive in Humboldt County; strongly felt in Reno
Jan. 26, 1700	9.0?	?	?	Offshore, somewhere between Cape Mendocino and Canada	Data not available, but shook northern California, Oregon, Washington, and southern British Columbia; caused tsunami damage to villages in Japan and western US
Jan. 31, 1922	7.3	41.00	-125.50	Offshore, about 70 mi W of Eureka
February
Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Feb. 9, 1890	6.8	33.40	-116.30	San Jacinto fault?	Little damage
Feb. 9, 1971	6.6	34.41	-118.4	San Fernando	65 dead; more than 2,000 injured; $505 million in losses
Feb. 24, 1892	7.3	32.55	-115.65	Laguna Salida, Baja California	Damage to San Diego and Imperial Valley
March
Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Mar. 10, 1922	6.3	36.10	-120.60	Parkfield
Mar. 11, 1933	6.4	33.70	-118.00	Long Beach	115 dead; $40 million in property damage
Mar. 26, 1872	7.4	36.70	-118.10	Owens Valley	27 dead; 56 injured; $250,000 in property damage
Mar. 31, 1898	6.4	38.20	-122.50	Mare Island	$350,000 in property damage
April
Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Apr. 8, 1968	6.6	33.19	-116.13	Borrego Mountain
Apr. 10, 1947	6.5	34.98	-116.55	East of Yermo
Apr. 15, 1898	6.7?	39.20	-123.80	Fort Bragg - Mendocino	Damage from Fort Bragg to Mendocino; 3 houses collapsed; landslides reported
Apr. 16, 1899	7.0	41.00	-126.00	Offshore, about 80 miles west of Eureka
Apr. 18, 1906	7.8	37.70	-122.50	Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire	3,000 dead; $524 million in property damage (includes damage from fire)
Apr. 19, 1892	6.6	38.40	-122.00	Vacaville	1 dead; $225,000 in property damage
Apr. 21, 1918	6.8	33.75	-117.00	San Jacinto	1 dead; several injuries; $200,000 in property damage
Apr. 24, 1984	6.2	37.31	-121.68	Morgan Hill	$8 million in property damage
Apr. 25, 1992	7.2	40.33	-124.23	Cape Mendocino area	356 injured; $48.3 million in property damage; two M 6.6 aftershocks on following day
May
Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
May 2, 1983	6.4	36.23	-120.31	Coalinga
May 19, 1940	7.0	32.73	-115.50	Imperial Valley	9 dead; $6 million in property damage
May 25, 1980	6.2	37.60	-118.85	Mammoth Lakes
May 25, 1980	6.0	37.63	-118.93	Mammoth Lakes
June
Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
June 1838	7.4?	37.30	-122.15	San Francisco to San Juan Bautista	Damage to San Francisco and Santa Clara
June 28, 1992	7.3	34.20	-116.44	Landers	1 dead; 402 injured; $91.1 million in property damage
June 28, 1992	6.5	34.17	-116.83	Big Bear	Included with Landers losses, above
Jun. 29, 1925	6.8	34.30	-119.80	Santa Barbara	13 dead; $8 million in property damage
July
Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
July 1, 1911	6.4	37.25	-121.75	Morgan Hill area
July 21, 1952	7.3	35.00	-119.02	Kern County earthquake	12 dead; $60 million in property damage
July 21, 1986	6.4	37.54	-118.44	Chalfant Valley
July 22, 1899	6.4	34.30	-117.50	Wrightwood	Chimneys knocked down; landslides reported
August
Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Aug. 17, 1991	7.0	41.71	-125.63	Offshore, about 100 miles NW of Eureka	Preceded by two quakes (M 6.3 and 6.2) on Aug. 16 and 17
September
Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Sept. 1, 1994	7.0	40.40	-125.68	Offshore, about 70 miles W of Cape Mendocino
Sept. 28, 2004	6.0	35.81	-120.36	Parkfield
October
Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Oct. 1, 1987	6.0	34.07	-118.08	Whittier Narrows	8 dead; $358 million in property damage to 10,500 homes and businesses
Oct. 8, 1865	6.5	37.20	-121.90	Santa Cruz Mountains	$0.5 million in property damage
Oct. 15, 1979	6.5	32.61	-115.32	Imperial Valley	9 injured; $30 million in property damage
Oct. 16, 1999	7.1	34.60	-116.27	Bullion Mountains (Hector Mine)	Minimal injuries and damage due to sparse population in affected area
Oct. 17, 1989	6.9	37.04	-121.88	Loma Prieta	63 dead; 3,737 injured; $6 billion in property damage
Oct. 21, 1868	7.0	37.70	-122.10	Hayward Fault	30 dead; $350,000 in property damage
Oct. 21, 1942	6.4	32.97	-116.00	About 25 miles W of Westmoreland
November
Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Nov. 4, 1927	7.1	34.60	-120.90	40 km west of Lompoc	Damage in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties
Nov. 4, 1908	6.0	36.00	-117.00	SW of Death Valley
Nov. 8, 1980	7.4	41.12	-124.67	West of Eureka	6 injured; $2 million in property damage
Nov. 21, 1915	6.6	32.00	-115.00	In Mexico, about 60 miles S of El Centro
Nov. 22, 1800	6.3?	32.90	-117.80	San Diego/San Juan Capistrano region	Damaged adobe walls of missions in San Diego and San Juan Capistrano
Nov. 23, 1873	6.9	42.00	-124.20	Crescent City region	Damage in California-Oregon border area
Nov. 24, 1987	6.2	33.09	-115.79	Superstition Hills	$3 million in property damage
Nov. 24, 1987	6.6	33.01	-115.85	Superstition Hills	part of above damage
December
Date	Magnitude	Epicenter		Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Date	Magnitude	Latitude	Longitude	Name, Location, or Region Affected	Loss of Life and Property
Dec. 4, 1948	6.0	33.93	-116.38	Desert Hot Springs
Dec. 8, 1812	7.3	34.37	-117.65	Wrightwood	40 dead at San Juan Capistrano
Dec. 16, 1954	7.3	39.28	-118.12	Fairview Peak, near Fallon, NV
Dec. 16, 1954	7.1	39.80	-118.10	Dixie Valley, near Fallon, NV
Dec. 21, 1812	7.1	34.75	-118.60	Los Angeles, Ventura, Santa Barbara	1 dead
Dec. 21, 1954	6.6	40.93	-123.78	East of Arcata	1 dead; several injured; $2.1 million in property damage
Dec. 25, 1899	6.7	33.80	-117.00	San Jacinto and Hemet	6 dead; $50,000 in property damage
Dec 31, 1934	7.0	32.00	-114.75	In Mexico, about 100 miles SE of El Centro
Dec. 22, 2003	6.5	35.70	-121.09	San Simeon	2 deaths, 47 injured, $239 million in losses

Compiled from:
T. Toppozada and others, 2000, Epicenters of and areas damaged by M ^> 5 California earthquakes, 1800-1999 (CDMG Map Sheet 49);
Updated (3/2004) with data from: Toppozada, T. R. and D. Branum (2002) California M >= 5.5 earthquakes, history and areas damaged, in Lee, W. H., Kanamori, H. and Jennings, P., International Handbook of Earthquake and Engineering Seismology, International Association of Seismology and Physics of the Earth's Interior;
National Earthquake Information Center (http://neic.usgs.gov/);
Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/updates/louie/graphics/brochure.html); and loss information from C. Stover and J. Coffman, 1993, Seismicity of the United States (USGS Professional Paper 1527).
See also Cascadia earthquake information at:
http://www.pep.bc.ca/cascadia_1700/cascadia_1700.html, http://www.seismo-watch.com/EQSERVICES/Newsletter/EQNEWS9701.html, http://www.oregonlive.com/news/00/01/st012610.html, and http://www.mala.bc.ca/~earles/1700quake/.

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Anniversaries of Notable California Earthquakes