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San Francisco earthquake of 1906: Quick Facts

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Facts

Date April 18, 1906
Location California • San Andreas Fault • San Francisco • United States

Did You Know?

  • Firefighters had no way to fight the growing fires, since San Franciscos water mains were demolished by the first shocks of the earthquake.
  • Law enforcement destroyed an estimated $30,000 in alcohol in an attempt to remove potential fuel for fires caused by the earthquake.
  • In the aftermath of the earthquake, residents were forbidden from cooking indoors in order to prevent fires.

Photos and Videos

Map showing the affected area of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake along California's coast, with color-coded zones indicating levels of perceived shaking from extreme to moderate. The San Andreas Fault is marked, with the earthquake's epicenter near San Francisco. Major cities such as San Jose, Santa Rosa, and Eureka are labeled, and fault movement direction is indicated with arrows. An inset map shows the earthquake's location within the continental United States.
San Francisco earthquake of 1906
San Francisco earthquake damage
San Francisco earthquake of 1906
Street scene in San Francisco after the 1906 earthquake, showing damaged buildings, rubble, and people walking among the ruins.
Panama-Pacific International Exposition
Bernard Maybeck: Palace of Fine Arts
San Francisco earthquake of 1906
San Francisco earthquake of 1906: soil liquefaction
Map of California and surrounding states showing the path of the San Andreas Fault as an orange line running northwest to southeast through California, from near the Pacific coast in the north to the border with Mexico in the south. Neighboring states Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and Idaho are labeled, and a small inset globe indicates the map's location in North America.
See the catastrophic aftermath of the San Francisco earthquake of 1906
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