07-02-2025
The Last Century of Fires, Floods and Destruction Bring on Disaster Déjà Vu
SOMETIMES we feel as if we've seen it all. L.A. has been attacked by aliens and zombies in the movies but none of that compares to the real-life destruction we saw in Altadena and Pacific Palisades. Insurance companies describe wildfires as an act of God, and God has been busy destroying SoCal over and over for the past century. We always come back stronger. New regulations following the 1933 earthquake strengthened school buildings. After scores died when the L.A. river jumped its banks, the Army Corps of Engineers built a concrete channel so that would never happen again. California's governor has made 57 disaster declarations this decade with more than half being wildfires. Here's a look back at some of L.A.'s biggest natural and man-made disasters.1928 ST. FRANCIS DAM DISASTER Soon after the giant dam structure a few miles north of Santa Clarita was built, it failed, killing an estimated 450 residents and ending the career of William Mulholland, who first brought a water supply to Los Angeles.1933 LONG BEACH EARTHQUAKEJust a month after the 6.4 quake that destroyed much of Long Beach and killed 120 people, the state adopted the Field Act. This early building code outlined new regulations to help make structures, especially hospitals and schools, safer. Twenty thousand homes were destroyed or seriously damaged, with damage estimates of $50 million — or $1.2 billion today.
1934 CRESCENTA VALLEY FLOOD A month after wildfires swept through the San Gabriel mountains, a foot of rain fell on the barren land, causing a flood that quickly swept through north Glendale. On Dec. 31, 1933, flood waters overtook the American Legion Hall, where a crowd, including volunteers from the Red Cross, had taken refuge. Twelve were killed at the hall and local historians say that 284 death certificates were signed in the Montrose community alone.1938 LOS ANGELES FLOOD Throughout L.A. history, floods have killed more people than fires or earthquakes. After five days of rain, some 115 people were killed and 6,000 homes were damaged or destroyed. Damages are estimated at a billion dollars in today's money. A few months later, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began pouring concrete to channel the river to avoid another disaster.
1992 LOS ANGELES RIOTS The most devastating civil unrest in American history left 58 dead and more than $1 billion in property damage that was spread all over Los Angeles County. The fires, looting and destruction stretched from Pacoima to Long Beach.1994 NORTHRIDGE EARTHQUAKELos Angeles was jolted awake at 4:31 a.m. by the 6.7 magnitude temblor, which carved a wide path of destruction. Freeways collapsed, apartments pancaked and reconstruction took years. In the end, 72 were dead and damages were estimated at $20 billion.2017 WILDFIRESThere were 29 wildfires across Southern California, including the massive Thomas Fire, that December. One firefighter and one civilian were killed, and more than 1,300 buildings were destroyed. Damages were estimated at $3.5 billion.
2020 COVID-19 Even though masks and sanitizer are not as prevalent as they were four years ago, COVID continues to have a big impact on our lives. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health reports that 14,840 Angelenos have died from the disease, with the total number in the county somewhere over 36,000. _
