On January 17, 1994, a 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck underneath the San Fernando Valley community of Northridge, killing 57 people and causing $20 billion in damage: collapsed buildings and freeway overpasses, snapped water and gas lines, rampant fires, and landslides.
"Tiffany and her family were nestled in bed during the early hours of January 17. An unknown fault under Northridge ruptured and briefly thrust the earth’s crust violently upward. They were thrown out of their beds. The staggering 6.7 Richter magnitude earthquake shook for more than twenty seconds. It was 4:31 a.m.
The next minutes were a nightmarish frenzy. Tiffany could hear crashing, things shattering, groans, and booms. Outside, on their back property line, the electric wires were slapping together, creating huge sparks and flashes of light. When the ground ceased the tumultuous process of uplifting and twisting, all the power went out. It was deathly quiet."
Quote from"Blazing Upheaval" by Karen Charles
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