The 1933 Long Beach Earthquake
Structural Damages Lead to Earthquake-Resistant Schools
© Jim Rada
Jun 15, 2009
Long Beach, California’s worst earthquake hit on March 10, 1933. Besides Long Beach, Compton, Los Angeles, Garden Grove, Buena Park, Watts, Artesia, Costa Mesa, Belleflower and Huntington Park not only felt the earthquake but had damage from it.
The Earthquake Hits
The Long Beach earthquake hit around 5:55 p.m. on March 10, 1933. The initial quake was accompanied by a loud road as it shook buildings and started fires.
“The shock was believed to have been centered in a great upheaval in the Pacific ocean southwest of Long Beach. At Long Beach, the front of a two-story hotel fell away almost immediately, leaving bedrooms and baths exposed as in a show window,” reported the Associated Press.
23 Aftershocks
Aftershocks followed through the next day. There were nearly two dozen, though none nearly as severe as the initial quake.
“Some of this morning's shocks jarred more debris loose from buildings in the practically wrecked business section of Long Beach, 20 miles south, of here, which seemed to be the epicenter of these quakes,” the Associated Press reported.
Around 25,000 people left the area after the quake and camped out in the surrounding area until they were sure it was safe to come back to their homes.
Rescue Efforts
Once the shaking stopped and the rescue work begun, 140 dead were found and thousands injured people were treated. The estimated property damage from the earthquake was estimated at $35,000,000. Of that amount, $25,000,000 was in Long Beach.
Nearly 5,000 sailors, soldiers, marines and National Guardsmen moved into the area to help with the rescue efforts and to prevent looting. They essentially placed the area under martial law.
Where the Damage Was
Estimated at 6.3 scale earthquake, it did little damage to engineered buildings or reinforced concrete buildings. The Los Angeles Civic Center showed only slight evidence that it had survived an earthquake and the Los Angeles City Hall had only a few cracks. It was the other buildings, those made of brick with un-reinforced walls that collapsed or fell apart. Unfortunately, this was the design of many of the schools in the area. Luckily, school had been dismissed hours earlier so the schools were empty when the quake struck.
The dead were found mainly in collapsed houses and small buildings.
Making Schools Earthquake Resistant
Because of how poorly the schools weathered the quake, earthquake-resistant schools became a mandatory requirement for public schools and colleges in California. The initial legislation, the Field Act, was passed on April 10, 1933.
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