At exactly 5:04 p.m. on Oct. 17, 1989, the Loma Prieta Earthquake rocked the Bay Area with a (6.9) 7.1 temblor for 15 seconds, causing the upper deck of the two-tiered Cypress (1.3-mile section of Interstate 880) Freeway to collapse.
In Oakland, forty-two people were killed, and several who were injured was rescued with the help of residents and workers from nearby companies.
The Beaux Arts–style 16th Street Oakland train station, built in 1911-1912 to replace the small wooden (1870) building at 16th and Wood Street, was for many decades a major railroad station, serving as served as Oakland’s first Southern Pacific rail station, suffered significant damage and subsequently closed.
Although the epicenter was an unpopulated area in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Loma Prieta Earthquake killed 63 people, plus 6 indirectly throughout Northern California, injured 3,757, caused 8,000 to 12,000 people to be left homeless, over 11 billion in insured losses, including damage to over 18,000 homes, causing the collapse of sections of the Bay Bridge and Cypress Freeway.
Loma Prieta was so named after the Loma Prieta Peak which lies 5 miles to the northeast in Santa Clara County.
Check out KQED “The Loma Prieta Earthquake: 20 Years Later” for more information. The local media is generating news stories and online depositories are experiencing a lot of activity regarding the Loma Prieta Earthquake, which I deliberately attempted to not duplicate here.
At 10:15 a.m. on October 15, 2009, at least 959,874 participants from the Bay Area will practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On.
Other Relevant Events:
Loma Prieta was so named after the Loma Prieta Peak which lies 5 miles to the northeast in Santa Clara County.
Check out KQED “The Loma Prieta Earthquake: 20 Years Later” for more information. The local media is generating news stories and online depositories are experiencing a lot of activity regarding the Loma Prieta Earthquake, which I deliberately attempted to not duplicate here.
At 10:15 a.m. on October 15, 2009, at least 959,874 participants from the Bay Area will practice Drop, Cover, and Hold On.
Other Relevant Events:
On Saturday, October 17, 2009, 3:00 to 5:30pm at Cypress Freeway Memorial Park, the City of Oakland will host an emergency preparedness. Oakland community members and dozens of other agencies are invited to “Honor, Reflect and Prepare” on the 20th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake.
Located on the west side of Mandela Parkway between 13th and 14th Streets, Cypress Freeway Memorial Park honors the people who died as a result of the Cypress Freeway collapse and the heroic actions of the community in the minutes following the quake and is a designated rest stop along the newly completed West Oakland Bay Trail that extends from Broadway to Mandela Parkway for walkers and bikers to discover the park, rest, and learn about the events surrounding the Loma Prieta Earthquake.
On October 17, 2009, at 8:30a.m. to 4:00p.m Mark Hopkins Hotel, San Francisco, CA.
This full-day commemorative event highlights lessons learned from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, accomplishments in the 20 years since the earthquake, and future initiatives that will continue to make our cities and built environment safer from earthquakes. Register now
This full-day commemorative event highlights lessons learned from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, accomplishments in the 20 years since the earthquake, and future initiatives that will continue to make our cities and built environment safer from earthquakes. Register now
Next month, on November 12th, at 7:30 p.m. at Chapel of the Chimes, 4499 Piedmont Ave. Ms. Allen will help commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the Loma Prieta Earthquake by recalling how this disaster impacted Oakland and how preservationists rallied to successfully save some of the city’s most treasured historic buildings, slated for demolition.
