The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a major
earthquake that struck
San Francisco 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 7.8; however, other values have been proposed from 7.7 to as high as 8.3. The mainshock
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 length 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 is remembered as one of the worst natural disasters in the history of the
United States. The death toll from the earthquake and resulting fire represents 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 disaster.
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