Copyright Information: All images are in the public domain and available for free. If you use this image, credit NOAA/NGDC, Eric Swenson, U.S. Geological Survey. |
This view looks east toward Market Street in San Francisco. Wooden buildings, one to three stories high, with brick or stone-work fronts, were closely interspersed with two to eight story brick buildings. Mingled with these were modern office buildings. Here the fire burned fiercely In its aftermath, the streets were heaped with rubble to a depth of a meter or more and were nearly impassable. Because of the heat of the fire, much of the damage due directly to the shock was concealed or obliterated in this part of the city. Image Credit: Eric Swenson. U.S. Geological Survey April 18, 1906 San Francisco USA earthquake The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was the largest event (magnitude 8.3) to occur in the conterminous United States in the 20th Century. Recent estimates indicate that as many as 3,000 people lost their lives in the earthquake and ensuing fire. In terms of 1906 dollars, the total property damage amounted to about $24 million from the earthquake and $350 million from the fire. The fire destroyed 28,000 buildings in a 520-block area of San Francisco. Event Data:
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