Southern California may be known for its sandy beaches, towering palm trees, and glorious blue skies, but it’s also known for something less appealing and even quite dangerous – earthquakes.
Although we haven’t had a major quake in SoCal for quite some time (knock on wood) we have had some devastating earthquakes in the past that have left behind a trail of destruction. Here’s a look at one of SoCal’s worst earthquakes in history; the pictures will make your jaw drop.
The year was 1933 and one of the most deadly earthquakes in Southern California history left a trail of destruction.
flickr/orange county archives
The massive Long Beach earthquake registered at 6.25 on the Richter scale and resulted in streets and buildings turned to shambles in a matter of seconds.
flickr/orange county archives
Pictured here: an eerie photo of a little girl posing for the camera with the evidence of the earthquake’s aftermath trailing behind her.
wikimedia commons/nathan callahan
Even the popular Woolworth five and dime store located in Santa Ana couldn’t survive the quake.
flickr/orange county archives
Many schools in Southern California were severely damaged in this quake. Pictured here: John Muir School in Long Beach.
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From rooftops to main structures and everything in between, the damage left an imprint on Southern California for a very long time. Pictured here: Compton High School.
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In addition to destroyed buildings, cracked highway pavement was another one of the many casualties of this devastating earthquake that stretched on for miles and miles.
flickr/CIR Online
After the devastating earthquake that left countless Southern Californians homeless, tons of donations of food and clothes showed up at local shelters and parks. Pictured here: Bixby Park in 1933.
flickr/simpleinsomnia
As the result of the damages from the 1933 earthquake in Long Beach, a greater awareness for the need of earthquake-resistant buildings began to grow over time and has since led to new and improved construction in the modern era.
flickr/orange county archives
Have you ever seen photos of the 1933 earthquake in Southern California? It’s hard to believe this happened right here in our backyard.
flickr/orange county archives
wikimedia commons/nathan callahan
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flickr/CIR Online
flickr/simpleinsomnia
If you enjoy taking a look back at Southern California’s past, you may also want to view these vintage photos of SoCal back in 1950. What an incredible decade!
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