50 Years Later, an Earthquake s Legacy Continues
Release Date:
February 4, 2021
The San Fernando earthquake struck Southern California 50 years ago, killing 64 people and costing over $500 million in damages. The quake prompted federal, state and local action to reduce earthquake risks and bolster public safety.
At 6 o’clock in the morning on February 9, 1971, the reservoir keeper of the Lower Van Norman Dam in Southern California tried to get out of bed.
He couldn’t. A magnitude-6.6 earthquake was shaking his home nestled at the bottom of the dam. After checking on his wife and child, he drove to the top of the dam to examine the damage. “It was hard to believe what I saw,” he said.
Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake in Croatia
Map of the December 29, 2020 Petrinja, Croatia Earthquake
The USGS has up-to-date details on this event
Release Date:
The USGS has up-to-date details on the December 29, 2020 event.
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near Petrinja, Croatia, about 30 miles southeast of the capital of Zagreb, on December 29, 2020 at about 6:20 am Eastern Time (12:20 pm local time). Seismic instruments indicate the earthquake originated at a depth of about 6 miles (10 kilometers).
This is the largest earthquake to occur in Croatia since the advent of modern seismic instruments. An earthquake of similar size occurred in 1880 near Zagreb and three magnitude 6 and larger earthquakes have occurred within 125 miles (200 kilometers) of the December 29, 2020 earthquake since 1900. A magnitude 5.6 earthquake on November 27, 1990, about 110 miles (175 kilometers) to the southeast, injured 10 people.