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| Panorama of San Francisco in ruins, taken via kite photography approx. 2,000 ft (600 m) above San Francisco Bay overlooking water front. Sunset over Golden Gate. May 28, 1906 by George R. Lawrence |
The
San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major earthquake that struck San Francisco, California, and the coast of Northern California at 5:12 a.m. on Wednesday, April 18, 1906. The most widely accepted estimate for the magnitude of the earthquake is a moment magnitude (Mw) of 7.9; however, other values have been proposed, from 7.7 to as high as 8.25. The main shock epicenter occurred offshore about 2 miles (3 km) from the city, near Mussel Rock. It ruptured along the San Andreas Fault both northward and southward for a total of 296 miles (477 km). Shaking was felt from Oregon to Los Angeles, and inland as far as central Nevada. The earthquake and resulting fire are remembered as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the United States alongside the Galveston Hurricane of 1900. The death toll from the earthquake and resulting fire, estimated to be above 3,000, is the greatest loss of life from a natural disaster in California's history. The economic impact has been compared with the more recent Hurricane Katrina.
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| Post and Grant Avenue look |
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| Arnold Genthe's famous photograph, looking toward the fire on Sacramento Street |
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| Bird's-eye view, surrounding Ferry Building, looking west on Market Street. Photographed from tower |
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| Burning of San Francisco, Mission District |
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| Stockton Street from Union Square, looking toward Market Street |
