On This Day, April 18, 1906, a massive earthquake struck the city of San Francisco, California, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. The earthquake, which had an estimated magnitude of 7.9 on the Richter scale, ruptured a 296-mile-long segment of the San Andreas Fault, with its epicenter not far from the city.
The tremors caused widespread damage, tipping over lamps and stoves, collapsing chimneys, and ripping apart gas lines, which ignited more than 50 fires across the city. The fires raged for three days, destroying nearly 500 city blocks and leaving half of the city’s 400,000 residents homeless. The earthquake and subsequent fires killed an estimated 3,000 people, making it one of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history.
The disaster overwhelmed the city’s infrastructure, as the earthquake had disabled the water system, leaving the fires uncontrolled. The damage was particularly severe in the low-lying areas of the city, where the “made ground” had sunk due to the shaking. In contrast, the buildings on the hills suffered less damage, with the upper stories being the most affected.
In the aftermath, aid poured in from around the country and the world, but the survivors faced weeks of hardship, sleeping in tents in city parks and the Presidio, standing in long lines for food, and cooking in the street to minimize the threat of additional fires. Congress responded by enacting emergency appropriations for the city, as well as handling claims from owners seeking reimbursement for destroyed property.
