This is a series of disastrous events in American History. These disasters have accounted for thousands of deaths and even more emotional anguish than we could imagine.
The San Francisco Earthquake
Currently holding ranks as one of the most significant earthquakes of all time in history is the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
Very early in the morning, around 5:12 a.m., a tremor occurred and was felt all over the San Francisco Bay area, and a few seconds later, an earthquake struck. This earthquake that was felt from southern Oregon to the south of Los Angeles and inland as far as central Nevada lasted barely 2 minutes.
This earthquake was termed the great San Francisco Earthquake as a result of the fires it started in San Francisco. This is a misleading name because the effects were just as severe in many other places.
While the earlier death counts ranged from 375 to over 500, they’ve been proven to be false as hundreds of fatalities in Chinatown went ignored and unrecorded. The total number of deaths is still uncertain, but various reports presented a range of 2000 to over 3,000.
Most of the deaths took place in San Francisco itself. However, 189 were reported elsewhere in the Bay Area; nearby cities, such as Santa Rosa and San Jose, suffered severe damage. The earthquake permanently shifted the course of the Salinas River near its mouth, In Monterey County. The river that previously emptied into Monterey Bay between Moss Landing and Watsonville was diverted by 6 miles to a new channel north of Marina.
80% of the country was destroyed, and around 227,000 and 300,000 people were left homeless out of a population of about 410,000. The Golden Gate Park, the Presidio, the Panhandle and the beaches between Ingleside and North Beach had tents erected and served as camps for the homeless. These camps were in operation for more than two years.
The losses from the earthquake have been estimated to be over $400 million at the 1906 value, which places it at $8.86 billion in 2020 dollars.
