right|thumb|Damage after the Santa Barbara earthquake

Damage after the Santa Barbara earthquake
1925 Santa Barbara earthquake
UTC time??
Magnitude6.8 Mw
Depth0 kilometers (0 mi)
Epicenter34°20′N 119°48′W / 34.33°N 119.80°W / 34.33; -119.80
Areas affected United States
(Southern California)
Max. intensityVIII
Casualties13 killed

The Santa Barbara earthquake of 1925 took place on June 29, 1925 at 06:44 PST (March 11, 14:44 UTC), with a magnitude of 6.3, causing widespread damage to buildings throughout Southern California. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach on the Newport-Inglewood Fault. Forty million dollars property damage resulted, and 115 lives were lost.

The 1925 earthquake caused extensive damage to the buildings along State St, some $8 million of damage occurred, and 13 deaths were reported. The Santa Barbara earthquake produced no fire, and demonstrated clearly the destructive capability of the earthquake alone. In the business district of Santa Barbara, an area of about 36 blocks, only a few structures were not substantially damaged, and many had to be completely demolished and rebuilt.

Among the most conspicuous building failures in Santa Barbara were the Arlington Hotel, the Californian Hotel, the San Marcos office building, the El Camino Real Hotel, and the Potter Theater. Other public buildings seriously damaged included the courthouse, jail, library, schools, and churches. The Santa Barbara Mission, before the earthquake of 1925. The mission was practically destroyed by an earthquake in December of 1812, and rebuilt by 1820.

Most of the damage occurred at Santa Barbara and nearby towns along the coast. North of Santa Barbara, the earth dam of the Sheffield Reservoir was destroyed, but the water released caused little damage.

Location: 12 km (8 miles) SW of Santa Barbara

Fault Type: Uncertain; probably left-lateral reverse


See also edit

External links edit