It broke along a west-northwest path, and was felt in many surrounding communities,
particularly along the trend line. It was felt as far away as Las Vegas.
Eight people died, and many more were injured. Over 10,000 buildings suffered damage, and
direct property losses exceeded $350 million, not including business interuptions and closures. A 5.3 aftershock later
killed another person.
Many of the "uptown"
or "old town" area businesses were located in older buildings that suffered heavy losses, and some businesses were
permanently closed. Both the physical and economic aftershocks were felt for years.
This quake also exposed what Earthquake Solutions calls the "Whittier
Hills effect." This has to do identifying some of the links between patterns of early community development
and later patterns of earthquake damage. We suggest that better general and specific knowledge can lead to better decisions
by individuals and businesses as they consider where to locate. Information on this effect is explained more fully in
some of our seminars.
