1994 — Jan 17, Northridge Earthquake, Los Angeles vicinity, CA –71-72

–72  Durkin. “Casualty Patterns in the 1994 Northridge…Earthquake.” 11th World Conf. 1996.[1]

–72  Reich. “Study Raises Northridge Quake Death Toll to 72.” LA Times, 12-20-1995.[2]

–72  Reich. “Still Shaking Things Up: 2 Years Later, Northridge Quake…” LA Times, 1-15-96.[3]

–61  FEMA. The Northridge Earthquake One Year Later, January 17, 1995. 1995, p. 1.

–61  Hyndman and Hyndman.  Natural Hazards and Disasters (2nd Ed.).  2009, p. 54.

–60  National Geophysical Data Center/NOAA, Significant Earthquake Database.

–60  USGS. Deaths in the United States from Earthquakes. 2008 update

–60  USGS. Historic Earthquakes: Northridge, California, 1994 01 17, 12:30:55. 26 Oct 2009

–57  Gunn. Encyclopedia. Chap. 169. “Northridge, California, Earthquake, January 17, 1994.”

–57  Mori/USGS. “Overview: The Northridge earthquake: Damage to an Urban Environment.”[4]

–57  NFPA (Stephen N. Foley). Summary Investigation Report. Northridge Earthquake…

–57  Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Center, University of California, Berkeley.

–57  USGS. Northridge Earthquake 10th Anniversary, January 17, 2004.

–57  USGS. USGS Response to an Urban Earthquake: Northridge `94. “Earthquake Impacts.”

–54  History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, Jan 17, 1994. “Earthquake Rocks [LA].”

–51  Exponent Engineering and Scientific Consulting. Catastrophe Response, Sample Project.

 

Electrocution                         (      1)

–1  Male, 25, “when he tried to remove a power line from his car.”[5]

 

Exposure                                (      2)

— 2  Durkin. “Casualty Patterns…Northridge…” 11th World Con. On Earthquake Eng., 1996.

            –Male, 87, “…pneumonia after spending several hours in the cold after evacuating his home.”

 

Fall of structural contents    (      3)[6]

Fitchner, Ted Peter, 28, Chatsworth, hit in head by a falling microwave oven at home. (ST.)

Couple crushed and asphyxiated in home by hundreds of pounds of falling items.[7]

 

Falls                                        (      5)

— 5  Durkin. “Casualty Patterns…Northridge…” 11th World Con. On Earthquake Eng., 1996.

 

Fire                                         (      1)

–Hanson, Evelynn B., 92, trailer fire in Northridge. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)[8]

 

Heart Attacks                        (19-30)

–30  Durkin in Reich. “Study Raises Northridge Quake Death Toll to 72.” LA Times, 12-20-95.[9]

–19  NFPA.

 

Life-Support Failure             (       3)

–3  Respirator failures. Durkin. “Casualty Patterns…Northridge…” 11th World Con., 1996.[10]

–Lionel Ventura, 20, Holy Cross Medical Cen., power to respirator was knocked out.[11]

 

Structural failure/crushing  (     22)

–22  Durkin, in LA Times. “Study Raises Northridge Quake Death Toll to 72.” 12-20-1995.

—  1  Clarence Dean, police motorcycle officer fall; collapsed Newhall Pass Interchange.[12]

—  1  Mobile home collapse. Durkin/Associates. “Casualty Patterns…” Paper 979, 1996

–16  Northridge Meadows complex collapse; people on first floor.[13]

—  4  Three separate wood-frame homes. Durkin. “Casualty Patterns…” Paper 979, 1996.

 

Suicide                                    (      1)

— 1  Ventura County male, 50, after his uninsured business was destroyed.[14]

 

Vehicular                               (       3)

— 3  Automobile accidents.  Durkin. “Casualty Patterns…” 11th World Conf. … 1996.

–2  Separate fatal accidents at intersections where traffic signals were out.

–1  Female, when her car overturned after hitting earthquake-caused street break.

 

Unspecified Natural Causes at Hospitals                (  3)[15]

–Norman Cole, 79, of North Hills, at a hospital.

–Madeline Riggins, 92, of Reseda, at a hospital.

–Margarita Vasquez, 73, at a hospital.

 

Breakout of Fatalities by Name

 

  1. Aslenpoura, Javad, 90. Santa Monica, cause undetermined. AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-94.[16]
  2. Baitman, Bea, 69, Studio City, home collapse. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  3. Borman, Jerry, 67, heart attack at a hospital. (Seattle Times. “The 47…” 1-20-1994.)
  4. Brace, Elizabeth, 37, Rancho Cucamonga, fell, hit her head on a baby crib. (ST, 1-20-94.)[17]
  5. Burlington, Marguerite, 91, heart attack at her Reseda home. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  6. Carr, Pearl, 70, fall/head trauma. (Seattle Times. “The 47 Quake…Fatalities…” 1-20-1994.)
  7. Cerone, Angeline (Ann), 80. Northridge Meadows apartments collapse. (Seattle Times.)
  8. Cole, Norman, 79, North Hills, heart attack. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  9. Dean, Clarence W. 46, LA motorcycle police officer; went off collapsed freeway in dark.
  10. Englar, Phil, 62. Northridge Meadows apartment collapse. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  11. Englar, Sharon. 58 (wife of Phil). Northridge Meadows apts. collapse. Seattle Times. 1-20-94
  12. Enos, Darla Rae, 43, Northridge Meadows apartments collapse. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  13. Fitchner, Ted Peter, 28, Chatsworth, hit in head by a falling microwave oven at home. ()
  14. Glasser, Leonard, 60+, heart attack at a hospital. (Seattle Times. “The 47…” 1-20-1994.)
  15. Green, Jerry, 52, Northridge, apartment collapse. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  16. Hall, Robert T., 62, North Hollywood, cause undetermined. AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-94.
  17. Hanson, Evelynn B., 92, trailer fire in Northridge. (Seattle Times. “The 47…” 1-20-1994.)
  18. Hernandez, Felix, 80, Glendale, heart attack. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  19. Hernandez, Jose, 45, fall from 6th floor window of downtown hotel. (Seattle Times, 1-20-94.)
  20. Horton, Edward Lee, 73, Los Angeles, cause undetermined. AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-94.
  21. Kamiya, Hannah, 75, fall at her Los Angeles (Seattle Times. “The 47…” 1-20-1994.)
  22. Khaytman, Gennady, 45, fell down stairs/head trauma; and possible heart attack at hosp.[18]
  23. Krell, Dr. Burton, 59, killed in accident where power to traffic light was knocked out. (NYT)
  24. Lee, Howard, 14. Northridge Meadows apartment collapse. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  25. Lee, Pil Soon, 46, Northridge Meadows apt. collapse. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  26. Maher, Kevin C., 25, electrocuted by a power line. (NYT. “The Earthquake…” 1-21-1994.)
  27. Melton, Frances, 80, Inglewood, cause undetermined. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  28. Mizrahi, Stella, 60+, heart attack at a hospital. (Seattle Times. “The 47…” 1-20-1994.)
  29. Munoz, Antonia, 66, heart attack at her Hollywood (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  30. Nalls, John, 64, Sherman Oaks, cause undetermined. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  31. Ng, Judith Ann, 42, Van Nuys home collapse. (Seattle Times. “The 47…” 1-20-1994.)
  32. O’Connor, Betty, 70, Torrance, cause undetermined. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  33. Osterholt, Karen, 30, collapse of hillside home in Sherman Oaks. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  34. Pauline, Robert, 73, Van Nuys home collapse. (Seattle Times. “The 47…” 1-20-1994.)
  35. Pearson, Willard, 55, Santa Monica, cause undetermined. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-94.)
  36. Pressman, Cecilia, 72. Northridge Meadows apartment collapse. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  37. Pressman, David, 72, husband of Cecilia. Northridge Meadows apt. collapse. (Seattle Times)
  38. Quintanar, Concha, 83, heart attack at a hospital. (Seattle Times. “The 47…” 1-20-1994.)
  39. Ramus, Albert, 75, Los Angeles, heart attack. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  40. Raziye, Marzia, 22, Reseda, traffic crash, darkened intersection. AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-94.
  41. Refugio, Romero, 88, Van Nuys, fell, fracturing hip, heart attack. AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-94.
  42. Reskin, Bea, 71. Northridge Meadows apartment collapse. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  43. Reyes, Jaime, 19. Northridge Meadows apartment collapse. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  44. Riggins, Madeline, 92, of Reseda, heart attack at a hospital. ( “List of…, 1-25-1994.)
  45. Runnings, Carol, 48. Northridge Meadows apartment collapse. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  46. Sacco, Arnold, Van Nuys, heart attack. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  47. Sandoval, Manuel D., 24. Northridge Meadows apartment collapse. (Seattle Times. 1-20-94)
  48. Slotnik, Adam, 27. Northridge Meadows apartment collapse. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  49. Smith, Maxfield, 62, of Marina del Rey, heart attack at a hospital. (Seattle Times. 1-20-94.)
  50. Uribe, Olga Robles, 26, passenger, vehicle overturned; intersection, traffic light power knocked out.
  51. Valasquez, Myrna, 18. Northridge Meadows apartments collapse. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  52. Valenzuela, Fredrico, 55, Sylmar, cause undetermined. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  53. Vasquez, Margarita, 73, Sun Valley, heart attack. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  54. Ventura, Lionel, 20, Sun Valley, power lost to respirator. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-94.)
  55. Vigil-Tyre, Amy 5, Sherman Oaks home collapse. (Seattle Times. “The 47.” 1-20-1994.)
  56. Wesley, Herbert, 45, Pico Rivera, cause undetermined. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  57. Wilhelm, Ruth, 77, Northridge, apartment collapse. (AP. “List of Fatalities.” 1-25-1994.)
  58. Yobs, Marc, 32, collapse of hillside home in Sherman Oaks. (Seattle Times. 1-20-1994.)
  59. Unidentified man, 67, heart attack at Inglewood (Seattle Times. “The 47…” 1-20-94.)
  60. Unidentified male, 80, heart attack at a hospital. (Seattle Times. “The 47…” 1-20-1994.)
  61. Unidentified male, collapse of a Northridge home. (Seattle Times. “The 47…” 1-20-1994.)

 

(We assume that the additional deaths necessary to support the estimate of Durkin and Associates of 72 fatalities [or 71, if there was a computational error] is from the collection of additional material from coroners on heart attacks.)

 

Narrative Information

 

Gunn: “An earthquake of magnitude (u7 hit all area of high population den­sity twenty-five miles northwest of Los Angeles at 4:30 M. on Jan­uary 17, 1994. About ten million people in the Greater Los Angeles region felt the impact of the quake. This earthquake, named for its epicenter in the town of Northridge, proved to be the most costly in U.S. history. Communities throughout the San Fernando Valley and in its Surrounding mountains north and west of Los Angeles were affected, causing losses of billion dollars. Fifty-seven people died, more than 9,000 were injured, and more than 20,000 were displaced from their homes.” (Gunn. “Northridge, California, Earthquake, January 17, 1994.” Encyclopedia of Disasters: Environmental Catastrophes and Human Tragedies. 2007.)

 

History.com: “On this day in 1994, an earthquake rocks Los Angeles, California, killing 54 people and causing billions of dollars in damages. The Northridge quake (named after the San Fernando Valley community near the epicenter) was one of the most damaging in U.S. history.

 

“It was 4:31 a.m. when the 6.7-magnitude quake struck the San Fernando Valley, a densely populated area of Los Angeles located 20 miles northeast of the city’s downtown. With an epicenter 12 miles beneath the earth’s surface, the earthquake caused the collapse of several apartment buildings. At the Northridge Meadows complex, 16 people died, all of whom lived on the first floor, when the weak stucco structure fell down on them as they slept.

 

“Given the strength and location of the earthquake, it was fortunate that the death toll was not far higher. Two key factors were critical in reducing the casualties. First, the quake struck in the middle of the night while nearly everyone was at home in their beds. A mall parking lot in the Valley collapsed, but no one was killed because it was entirely empty. Several highways also suffered critical failures, but only one police officer died, when his vehicle plunged off an overpass. The other key factor was that the city’s building and safety codes were strengthened following the 1971 Sylmar quake that collapsed the San Fernando Veterans Hospital. Every building constructed after the new regulations were implemented stayed intact.

 

“Still, the quake caused a huge amount of property damage over a wide area, especially in the beach community of Santa Monica, even though it was relatively far from the epicenter. As much of Santa Monica stands on soil that is less solid than bedrock, it suffered severe ground movement during the earthquake. The partial collapse of the Santa Monica freeway snarled traffic in Los Angeles for months. All told, it is estimated that the earthquake was responsible for $20 billion in damages.” (History.com. This Day in History, Disaster, Jan 17, 1994, “Earthquake Rocks LA.”)

 

Hyndman: “The Northridge earthquake caused $15.2 billion in property damage. Some 3,000 buildings were closed to all reentry; another 7,000 buildings were closed to occupation. Sixty-one people were killed. In fact, the toll would probably have been in the thousands had the earthquake happened later in the day, when more people would have been up and about. Most buildings and parking garages that collapsed were essentially unoccupied. Freeway collapse occurred at seven locations, 170 bridges were damaged, and a few unlucky people were on the road.”  (Hyndman and Hyndman. Natural Hazards and Disasters (2nd Ed.). 2009, p. 54.)

 

LA Times, Dec 20, 1995: “The most comprehensive study yet to appear on casualties in the Northridge earthquake has concluded that both deaths and injuries were more numerous than the official tallies by the state Office of Emergency Services and coroners in Los Angeles and Ventura counties indicate. An article on the study, appearing in a lengthy publication on the quake released last week by the state Division of Mines and Geology, found that 72 deaths were attributable to the magnitude 6.7 temblor and that 11,846 people were treated for quake-related injuries in hospitals in Los Angeles, Ventura and Orange counties. These figures compare to the 57 deaths and 9,000 injuries that had been reported as the official casualty tolls for the Jan. 17, 1994, quake.

 

“The new figures were compiled by Michael E. Durkin, a Woodland Hills public health researcher who has studied and written about casualties from many other quakes around the world. He attributes 30 of the 72 Northridge deaths to heart attacks, accounting for most of the discrepancy with earlier fatality figures.

 

“Durkin painstakingly reviewed hospital and Red Cross records, as well as coroner and Office of Emergency Services reports, in coming to his conclusions, although he conceded in an interview that some deaths caused indirectly by the quake–such as the suicide of a 50-year-old Ventura County man after his uninsured business was destroyed–represent somewhat subjective judgments.

 

“Spokespeople for both the OES and the Los Angeles County coroner said Tuesday that they recognize that their earlier figures were incomplete. Kati Corsaut, information officer for the OES, said the agency accepts Durkin’s numbers as more complete because “we don’t have any numbers other than those reported to us the first week of the event.” “We don’t have any reason to think there’s a problem with his numbers,” Corsaut said. “Our numbers are meant to reflect the scope of the disaster. They’re not meant to reflect a final number. We do the best we can fast. Our numbers are not based on the extensive research this man has clearly done.”

 

“Dean Gilmore, captain in charge of the investigations division of the coroner’s office, said that some Northridge quake deaths in Los Angeles County occurred after the office reported its figures to the OES and that some were of “direct, natural causes, a person under a doctor’s treatment, and we would know nothing about it.”

 

“As it is, Durkin’s numbers remain well below the 117 funeral grants the state reported making for quake victims six months after the temblor. But he explained Tuesday that he may follow a more rigorous standard for attributing a death to the earthquake….

 

“Of the 11,846 injuries, Durkin reports, 1,044 people were listed as admitted to hospitals and the other 10,802 were treated and released. He said that because of incomplete records at certain hospitals, the latter figure may be a little low. In any event, he noted, people who were injured but did not go to a hospital are not recorded….

 

“Of the 72 deaths, Durkin says 22 occurred as a result of structural failure, including 16 in the infamous Northridge Meadows apartment house collapse, seven came from nonstructural failures and 43 came from other causes, including the heart attacks.

 

“Durkin goes into considerable detail about the circumstances of some of the deaths. For instance, on nonstructural deaths, he notes:

 

“A 28-year-old man died of heart failure after sustaining head injuries from being struck by a microwave oven when his mobile home collapsed. . . . Two were crushed and asphyxiated when buried under hundreds of pounds of books, model trains and other collectibles in their home. One hospital inpatient and two at-home users succumbed when their respirators lost power and stopped. A 25-year-old man was electrocuted when he tried to remove a power line from his car.””

 

(Los Angeles Times (Kenneth Reich). “Study Raises Northridge Quake Death Toll to 72.” 12-20-1995.)

 

Mori/USGS: “….Despite its relatively modest size, the magnitude 6.7 earthquake, centered beneath the densely populated San Fernando Valley, severely impacted people and manmade structures in the Los Angeles area. Shaking and other earthquake effects damaged thousands of buildings. After post-earthquake inspections, more than 1,600 buildings were designated unsafe to enter (red tag) and another 7,300 buildings were assigned to the limited entry category (yellow tag). Thousands of other structures showed minor damage. The earthquake, 10-20s of strong shaking at 4:30 am Pacific Standard Time, collapsed buildings, brought down freeway interchanges, and ruptured gas lines that created explosions and fires. However, the early morning timing of the earthquake was a very lucky coincidence. Most people were at home when the earthquake struck and most buildings and parking structures that collapsed were nearly vacant; freeway traffic was light….” (p. 4.)

 

NFPA: “On January 17, 1994, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurred at 4:31 a.m. in Los Angeles. The ten plus seconds of ground shaking resulted in up to $20 billion in damage. There were 57 fatalities, 19 that were attributed to heart attacks, and 9,158 people seriously injured. Comparing this to the Loma Prieta-earthquake, there were 63 fatali­ties and more than 3,750 injuries. The earthquake’s epicenter was about one mile south-southwest of Northridge at a depth of about 12 miles according to the California Technological Seismological Laboratory….” (NFPA/Stephen N. Foley. Summary Investigation Report. Northridge Earthquake, California, January 17, 1994. 8-28-1995, p. 1.)

 

NISEE: “At 4:31 A.M. local time, Monday, January 17, 1994 the Northridge earthquake struck the San Fernando Valley region of Southern California with a moment magnitude measured at 6.7 and focal depth of 19 km. The earthquake was centered 32 km west-northwest of Los Angeles along a south-dipping, blind thrust fault. Little if any surface faulting was produced. The earthquake resulted in 57 deaths, more than 5,000 injuries, and structural damage including instances of partial or complete structural collapse. Estimates of more than $20 billion in property damage make this earthquake the costliest seismic disaster in U.S. history. The earthquake touched off considerable scientific and engineering investigation.” (NISEE, Pacific Earthquake Engineering Research Cen., UC, Berkeley. “Northridge Earthquake,” 2005.)

 

USGS (Historic): “Sixty people were killed, more than 7,000 injured, 20,000 homeless and more than 40,000 buildings damaged in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Severe damage occurred in the San Fernando Valley: maximum intensities of (IX) were observed in and near Northridge and in Sherman Oaks. Lesser, but still significant damage occurred at Fillmore, Glendale, Santa Clarita, Santa Monica, Simi Valley and in western and central Los Angeles. Damage was also sustained to Anaheim Stadium. Collapsed overpasses closed sections of the Santa Monica Freeway, the Antelope Valley Freeway, the Simi Valley Freeway and the Golden State Freeway. Fires caused additional damage in the San Fernando Valley and at Malibu and Venice. Preliminary estimates of damage are between 13 and 20 billion U.S. dollars. Felt throughout much of southern California and as far away as Turlock, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Richfield, Utah and Ensenada, Mexico. The maximum recorded acceleration exceeded 1.0g at several sites in the area with the largest value of 1.8g recorded at Tarzana, about 7 km south of the epicenter. A maximum uplift of about 15 cm occurred in the Santa Susana Mountains and many rockslides occurred in mountain areas, blocking some roads. Some ground cracks were observed at Granada Hills and in Potrero Canyon. Some liquefaction occurred at Simi Valley and in some other parts of the Los Angeles Basin.” (USGS. Historic Earthquakes: Northridge, California, 1994 01 17, 12:30:55. 26 Oct 2009.)

 

USGS (USGS Response): “At 4:30 on the morning of January 17, 1994, some 10 million people in the Los Angeles region of southern California were awakened by the shaking of an earthquake. The earthquake, named for its epicenter in the town of Northridge, was a magnitude 6.7 (M = 6.7) shock that proved to be the most costly earthquake in United States history. The shaking heavily damaged communities throughout the San Fernando Valley and Simi Valley, and their surrounding mountains north and west of Los Angeles, causing estimated losses of 20 billion dollars. Fifty-seven people died, more than 9,000 were injured, and more than 20,000 were displaced from their homes by the effects of the quake. Although moderate in size, the earthquake had immense impact on people and structures because it was centered directly beneath a heavily populated and built-up urban region. Thousands of buildings were significantly damaged, and more than 1,600 were later “red-tagged” as unsafe to enter. Another 7,300 buildings were restricted to limited entry (“yellow-tagged”), and many thousands of other structures incurred at least minor damage. The 10-20 seconds of strong shaking collapsed buildings, brought down freeway interchanges, and ruptured gas lines that exploded into fires. Fortuitously, the early morning timing of the earthquake spared many lives that otherwise might have been lost in collapsed parking buildings and on failed freeway structures.” (USGS. USGS Response to an Urban Earthquake: Northridge `94. “Introduction. The Earthquake and Its Impacts.”

 

USGS (Significant Earthquakes): “….Southern California….Sixty people were killed, more                than 7,000 injured, 20,000 homeless and more than 40,000 buildings damaged in Los Angeles, Ventura, Orange and San Bernardino Counties. Severe damage occurred in the San Fernando                 Valley: maximum intensities of (IX) were observed in and near Northridge and in Sherman Oaks. Lesser, but still significant damage occurred at Fillmore, Glendale, Santa Clarita, Santa                 Monica, Simi Valley and in western and central Los Angeles. Damage was also sustained to Anaheim Stadium. Collapsed overpasses closed sections of the Santa Monica Freeway, the                 Antelope Valley Freeway, the Simi Valley Freeway and the Golden State Freeway. Fires caused additional damage in the San  Fernando Valley and at Malibu and Venice. Preliminary estimates                 of damage are between 13 and 20 billion U.S. dollars. Felt throughout much of southern California and as far away as Turlock, California; Las Vegas, Nevada; Richfield, Utah and                 Ensenada, Mexico. The maximum recorded acceleration exceeded 1.0g at several sites in the area with the largest value of 1.8g recorded at Tarzana, about 7 km south of the epicenter. A               maximum uplift of about 15 cm occurred in the Santa Susana Mountains and many rockslides occurred in mountain areas, blocking some roads. Some ground cracks were observed at Granada Hills and in Potrero Canyon. Some liquefaction occurred at Simi Valley and in some other parts of the Los Angeles Basin.” (USGS. Significant Earthquakes of the World. “1994.” 0-30-2012 modification.)

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Ayres, B. Drummond, Jr. “The Earthquake: In City of Motorcycle-Cop Mystique, an Officer, and Quake Victim, is Laid to Rest.” New York Times, 1-25-1994. Accessed 3-7-2016 at: http://www.nytimes.com/1994/01/25/us/earthquake-city-motorcycle-cop-mystique-officer-quake-victim-laid-rest.html

 

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Reich, Kenneth. “Still Shaking Things Up: 2 Years Later, Northridge Quake Continues to Teach Lessons on Disaster.” Los Angeles Times, 1-15-1996. Accessed 3-7-2016 at: http://articles.latimes.com/1996-01-15/local/me-24837_1_northridge-quake

 

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United States Geological Survey, Caltech, USGS and the Earthquake Country Alliance. Northridge Earthquake 10th Anniversary, January 17, 2004 (Learning from the Past; Planning for the Future). Accessed 3-7-2016 at: http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/info/nr10/

 

United States Geological Survey. Significant Earthquakes of the World. “1994.” U.S. Dept. of the Interior, USGS, Earthquake Hazards Program, 10-30-2012 modification. Accessed 3-7-2016 at: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/significant/sig_1994.php

 

United States Geological Survey. USGS Response to an Urban Earthquake: Northridge `94 (Open-File Report 96-263). USGS, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, 1-10-2013 modification. Accessed 3-7-2016 at: http://pubs.usgs.gov/of/1996/ofr-96-0263/

 

 

 

[1] Durkin writes that “The Northridge earthquake was directly or indirectly responsible for at least 72 fatalities…” and notes that number again at several locations, including “Table 1. Fatalities by structural type and other causes.” However, a tally of the numbers in the table comes to 71, not 72. The location of the apparent addition error is in the “Other Causes” section of the table which lists six different causes (falls/5 deaths, automobile accidents/3, fire/1, suicide/1, exposure/2, and heart attacks/30) and shows the number “43” under the tabulation line. However these figures add to 42, not 43. If one adds the 22 deaths shown under the “Structural Failure” heading, and 7 under “Nonstructural Elements/Contents” heading, then one gets 71. Thus either the number 72 is incorrect and should be 71, or one death was left out of the “Other Causes” heading, which, if included, would account for 43 deaths. Thus, not knowing which is the case we use a range of 71-72,

[2] Cites study recently released by California Division of Mines and Geology, by Michael E. Durkin.

[3] Relies on Durkin for fatality numbers.

[4] “Within the affected region, 57 people were killed, more than 9,000 people were injured, and 20,000 people were displaced from their homes.” (p. 4.)

[5] Durkin and Associates. “Casualty Patterns…Northridge…” 11th World Con. On Earthquake Eng., 1996.

[6] Durkin and Associates. “Casualty Patterns…Northridge…” 11th World Con. On Earthquake Eng., 1996.

[7] Durkin in Reich, Kenneth. “Study Raises Northridge Quake Death Toll to 72,” Los Angeles Times, 12-20-1995

[8] Durkin and Associates (“Casualty Patterns…Northridge…” 11th World Conf. On Earthquake Eng., 1996) notes this as a death due to “smoke inhalation when…mobile home was knocked off support jacks by the earthquake which ruptured a gas line and started fire.”

[9] Writes that the 30 fatal heart attacks were “classified by the Coroner’s office as indirectly earthquake-related.”

[10] “One hospital inpatient and two at home users succumbed when their respirators lost power and stopped.”

[11] Seattle Times, WA. “The 47 Quake-Related Fatalities Confirmed so Far.” 1-20-1994.

[12] Durkin. “Casualty Patterns in the 1994 Northridge…Earthquake.” 11th World Con. On Earthquake Eng., 1996. Durkin does not identify the officer or the exchange name, writing “a policeman perished when he drove his motorcycle off the end of a collapsed freeway overpass.” Name is from Ayres, B. Drummond, Jr. “The Earthquake: In City of Motorcycle-Cop Mystique, an Officer, and Quake Victim, is Laid to Rest.” New York Times, 1-25-1994.

[13] Durkin and Associates. “Casualty Patterns…Northridge…” 11th World Con. On Earthquake Eng., 1996. Notes that all fatalities were on the first of three floors when “Twenty-six of the thirty-six ground floor apartments collapsed completely.” Even so there were some survivors on the collapsed section of the first floor.

[14] Durkin and Associates. “Casualty Patterns…Northridge…” 11th World Con. On Earthquake Eng., 1996.

[15] Seattle Times, WA. “The 47 Quake-Related Fatalities Confirmed so Far.” 1-20-1994.

[16] “The unofficial death toll from the Jan. 17 earthquake climbed to 61 Tuesday. The Los Angeles County coroner is reporting 57 quake deaths. The San Bernardino County coroner has been reporting one. Hospital officials have confirmed three [LA] County deaths for The Associated Press, but those have yet to be relayed to the coroner.”

[17] Appears to be reference to death, noted by Dewey of the USGS, of a woman who “died when, running to protect her baby, she fell and hit her head on her baby’s crib.”

[18] Seattle Times attributes cause of death as a fall down stairs. NYT has it as “head trauma and a possible heart attack at hospital.” (NYT, “The Earthquake; 41 Victims Identified by Coroner.” 1-21-1994.)