The 10 most powerful earthquakes in California history
Golden State Quakes
California has been at the epicenter of the United States’ most intense earthquakes throughout history, with one of the most recent destructive tremors caught on the national stage during the 1989 World Series in San Francisco.
That Loma Pista earthquake created widespread damage and loss of life, a harrowing reminder of what the intense shocks and aftershocks can cause in only a matter of seconds.
The nearly unbelievable part? At 6.9 on the Richter scale, that 1989 quake falls outside the 10 most powerful of all time in California, according to the data…
t-10. Humboldt Earthquake
When: Jan. 22, 1923.
Magnitude: 7.1.
t-10. Lompoc Earthquake
When: Nov. 4, 1927.
Magnitude: 7.1.
t-10. Hector Mine (Mojave Desert) Earthquake
When: Oct. 16, 1999.
Magnitude: 7.1.
t-7. Santa Barbara Channel Earthquake
When: Dec. 21, 1812.
Magnitude: 7.2.
t-7. Cape Mendocino Earthquake
When: Apr. 25, 1992.
Magnitude: 7.2.
t-7. El Mayor-Cucapah (Baja Calif./Mexico) Earthquake
When: Apr. 4, 2010.
Magnitude: 7.2.
6. Landers and Big Bear Earthquake
When: June 28, 1992.
Magnitude: 7.3.
5. Owens Valley Earthquake
When: March 26, 1872.
Magnitude: 7.4.
t-3. San Juan Capistrano (Wrightwood) Earthquake
When: December 8, 1812.
Magnitude: 7.5.
t-3. Kern County Earthquake
When: July 21, 1952.
Magnitude: 7.5.
t-1. Fort Tejon Earthquake
When: January 9, 1857.
Magnitude: 7.9.
t-1. San Francisco Earthquake
When: April 18, 1906.
Magnitude: 7.9.
