The 5 Most Horrific Tragedies And Natural Disasters In San Francisco’s History
By Stephanie Garr|Published May 24, 2016
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Stephanie Garr
Author
Stephanie is a freelance writer and editor based in San Francisco, California. When she's not tapping at a keyboard, she can be found leading groups on gourmet chocolate walking tours (best job ever) or running the many lovely hills and stairs of the city (to burn off all that chocolate, of course). She also runs a travel blog with her husband at Big & Small Travel (bigandsmalltravel.com).
Yes, the nature here in San Francisco is downright incredible, and the people, well, we like to think we’re pretty fun, peace-loving spirits. But it doesn’t mean this city hasn’t been immune to some of the country’s most horrific tragedies and natural disasters. Of course, we’re surrounded by some very precarious fault lines—perhaps why this land is so dang breathtaking to begin with—and we’ve had to contend with some of Mother Nature’s most powerful shakeups. And then there are the human-caused tragedies, ones that have shaken up our psyches in a whole other manner.
On April 18, 1906, at 5:12AM, San Francisco and its surrounding areas were hit with one of the most powerful and devastating earthquakes on record. Stemming from the San Andreas Fault, the quake has been estimated at a 7.8 magnitude. The main shock epicenter occurred offshore, only 2 miles from the city.
So, it wasn’t the earthquake itself that caused the most damage and devastation. It was actually the fires that broke out afterward. In total, about 3,000 people died and over 80% of the city was destroyed. This remains one of the most tragic natural disasters in California’s history.
A mere 80+ years later, the San Francisco Bay Area would be struck with another big one, also on the San Andreas Fault, at a 6.9 magnitude. This time, though, it would be televised, live: On October 17, 1989, the Oakland Athletics were playing the San Francisco Giants in the World Series at Candlestick Park. It was a "Battle of the Bay" that would soon be known as the "Earthquake Series." However, this event may have saved several lives since most people were inside watching the game instead of out on the streets. Still it caused 63 deaths, thousands of injuries, and billions of dollars in damage.
On November 27, 1978, San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and the city’s Supervisor Harvey Milk were shot and killed in San Francisco City Hall by former supervisor Dan White. After his infamous "Twinkie Defense," White would be charged of voluntary manslaughter; this lenient verdict led to the White Night riots, which caused several injuries and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of damage around City Hall. To learn more about the events, we highly recommend checking out the film Milk.
Even if you weren’t alive in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when the Zodiac Killer went on a murdering spree throughout the Bay Area, the Jake Gyllenhaal-starring movie Zodiac may be able to fill you in on some of the details. In letters he sent to the San Francisco Chronicle, the Zodiac Killer claimed to have committed 37 murders, but there are still only 5 confirmed deaths. Freakiest part? The killer could still be on the loose—he was never caught.
Do you have stories to share about the events in this list? Please share your thoughts in the comments.
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