Book

Buildings were weaving in and out. The street pitched like a stormy sea. Bricks were raining down all around him. The ground shook with such violence that Jacob thought the world had come to an end.

The San Francisco Earthquake is a thorough examination of the April 18, 1906, earthquake that is considered one of the first environmental disasters of the modern age. Striking California's Bay Area, the quake and its resulting fires destroyed a rapidly growing, prosperous city and left more than 500 people dead, thousands homeless, and $500 million worth of property damage.

A huge earthquake rocked the West Coast on April 18, 1906. Worst hit was the city of San Francisco, where buildings collapsed and fires raged for days. Thousands of people died, and many more were left homeless. The disaster was just one of a long series of earthquakes triggered by the San Andreas Fault. It taught scientists valuable lessons about preparing for earthquakes.