1971 San Fernando Earthquake - Damage

Damage

The earthquake ruptured a segment of the San Fernando fault zone, a set of north-dipping, high-angled reverse faults along the southeastern margin of the San Gabriel Mountains.

It caused more than 10 miles of discontinuous surface ruptures with average displacements of about 3 feet both horizontally and vertically. A strong aftershock sequence followed the main shock and included four quakes in the Magnitude 5 range.

The quake claimed 65 lives and caused more than half a billion dollars in damage, including the destruction of two hospitals, two freeway interchanges and the Lower Van Norman Dam. Damage to the earthen bulwark dam raised concerns of a partial or total collapse. Much confusion ensued as various agencies declared a need for the mandatory evacuation of 40,000 people, or voluntary evacuations of various portions of the San Fernando Valley below the dam. This depended on which agency was consulted, and often the evacuees were not able to be informed of the status of an evacuation in a timely manner, often returning home just as the police arrived to notify them of a new evacuation order, or evacuating at a moment when officials decided not to evacuate. Communication was made difficult by disruption of telephone, water, and electrical service.

The most spectacular damage included the collapse of structures at Olive View Hospital (which had opened just a month prior to the earthquake) and at the Veterans Administration Hospital, both in Sylmar. The earthquake pushed Olive View Medical Center 1 foot (0.30 m) off its foundation, causing the first floor to collapse, killing three patients and a hospital worker. Forty-nine people died in the VA Hospital. Twelve overpass bridges fell into freeway lanes, including the freeway overpass connecting the Interstate 5 freeway and the Foothill Freeway that resulted in the death of at least two people. The recently completed Newhall Pass interchange connecting Interstate 5 and the Antelope Valley Freeway was destroyed as well. This interchange was rebuilt and reopened in 1973, but collapsed again 21 years later during the 1994 Northridge earthquake, killing one.

Besides damaging freeways and buildings, the Sylmar Quake also was reported to have damaged hundreds of schools all over the Los Angeles County area. It severely damaged one of Los Angeles' oldest elementary schools, Atwater Avenue Elementary School, and an historic high school in the Silver Lake region of Los Angeles, John Marshall High School. Its main building, in Collegiate Gothic style, was refurbished, but the cafeteria and other portions were razed.

Landslides were widespread and caused extensive damage throughout the San Gabriel Mountains.

The earthquake disrupted several motion pictures being filmed at the time in the Los Angeles area, including The Omega Man. The quake also served as the inspiration for the 1974 film Earthquake.

The quake occurred just as many radio stations were beginning their hourly news programming at 6:00 am On Los Angeles AM station KMPC, newscaster Tom Wayman was interrupted halfway through his first story and said " having an earthquake— a very severe earthquake." Charlie Tuna, a DJ at 93 KHJ at the time, commented that he had a "shaky feeling" due to a dream he had earlier that morning. Under one minute later during a song, the quake hit.