BAKERSFIELD,CA- Friday marked the 20th anniversary of the 6.7 magnitude Northridge earthquake that rattled southern Californians off their beds, injured at least 9,000 and killed 57.
"Catastrophic. There was immense property damage. Loss of life. Disruption of services," said geologist Dr. Gregg Wilkerson. "There was actually three of them. There were two subsequent quakes after the initial shock magnitude six. So you had three magnitude six or greater earthquakes within an 11 hour period."
So what causes the earth to shake?
"It's kind of like a rubber band. If you take the rubber band and stretch it and stretch it it will break. Well that breaking of the rubber band that's the earthquake and that's what's happening to the rocks. The rocks are being stretched," said Dr. Wilkerson.
Wilkerson says there are dozens of faults in Kern County. The White Wolf Fault failed dramatically twice in 1952, resulting in quakes in Tehachapi and Bakersfield.
"There were many buildings across the city that were destroyed and or damaged," said historian Ken Hooper.
Including buildings at Bakersfield High.
"I think the 20th anniversary of the Northridge quake is a reminder that we live in earthquake country," said Hooper.
The Northridge earthquake caused between $20 and $25 billion in damage.
"Catastrophic. There was immense property damage. Loss of life. Disruption of services," said geologist Dr. Gregg Wilkerson. "There was actually three of them. There were two subsequent quakes after the initial shock magnitude six. So you had three magnitude six or greater earthquakes within an 11 hour period."
So what causes the earth to shake?
"It's kind of like a rubber band. If you take the rubber band and stretch it and stretch it it will break. Well that breaking of the rubber band that's the earthquake and that's what's happening to the rocks. The rocks are being stretched," said Dr. Wilkerson.
Wilkerson says there are dozens of faults in Kern County. The White Wolf Fault failed dramatically twice in 1952, resulting in quakes in Tehachapi and Bakersfield.
"There were many buildings across the city that were destroyed and or damaged," said historian Ken Hooper.
Including buildings at Bakersfield High.
"I think the 20th anniversary of the Northridge quake is a reminder that we live in earthquake country," said Hooper.
The Northridge earthquake caused between $20 and $25 billion in damage.