TIME March 10, 1933 / 5:54 pm, PST
LOCATION 33° 37' N, 117° 58' W 5 km (3 miles) south of present-day Huntington Beach
MAGNITUDE MW6.4
TYPE OF FAULTING right-lateral strike-slip
This earthquake occurred on the Newport-Inglewood
fault zone, a system of right-lateral strike-slip
faulting. There was no surface rupture associated with this earthquake.
It resulted in 120 deaths and over $50 million in property damage.
Most of the damaged buildings were of unreinforced masonry. Many school
buildings were destroyed. Fortunately, however, the children were not
present in the classrooms.
Above: The collapse of part of Jefferson Junior High School in Long
Beach.
(Photo: Portland Cement Association)
(Photo: H.M. Engle)
This earthquake led to the passage of the Field
Act, which gave the State Division of
Architecture authority and responsibility for
approving design and supervising construction
of public schools. Building codes were also improved.
Other Links:
Article from the National Information Service for Earthquake Engineering:
"The Long
Beach Earthquake of 1933"
From the USGS
National Earthquake Information Center