Five Odd Southern California Earthquake Facts

HOLLYWOOD - Looking up Vine Street from Hollywood Boulevard the sudden rise of the street just above Yucca St. on the hill where The Hollywood Freeway lays atop shows the not so subtle signs of The Hollywood Fault, which has been in the news lately. Recent mapping by the California Geological Survey shows the fault is what helps give Hollywood and Los Feliz its character with its hills, and while the beauty is nice some developers are none too happy with this study.

When The Hollywood Fault, or any Southern California fault, will rupture with fury again is not clear as there are no accurate ways to predict earthquakes (not to be confused with forecasting earthquakes).

Walking over and along The Hollywood Fault on Los Feliz Blvd. one wonders about earthquakes past, and thus this piece is not about unhappy developers not getting their way, or even so much The Hollywood Fault, but rather five odd, peculiar Southern California earthquake facts.


Severe freeway damage following the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake. Used under a Creative Commons license.

1 - The First Earthquake on Record

For thousands and thousands of years earthquakes, both very small and very large, have been happening in Southern California, as paleoseismology has proven, but while there were many animals and trees to feel the shaking as hills and mountains were being pushed up there were hardly many humans around. Any humans that were around never kept anything written about it, or hid their diary.

It would not be until 1769 that the first earthquake in Southern California would be recorded. Gaspar de Portola, Father Juan Crespí and a group of over 60 explorers from Spain, in the name to extend Spain's control up the Pacific Coast and establish colonies and missions (and hopefully prevent Russia and England from acquiring and taking this territory), set out from San Diego to Monterey on July 14, 1769. Maps at the time available to de Portola's group showed California extending from San Diego only to the Monterey Bay.


When California was still thought of as an island in this 1745 map of California, and so not unusual to think de Portola's group thought the soon-to-be Golden State went as far as Monterey. Used under Creative Commons license.

After about a couple weeks of walking from San Diego to current day Orange County on July 28, 1769 and setting up camp at what is now The Santa Ana River in Anaheim de Portola's group felt a very large earthquake.

This earthquake occurred around 4 p.m., and the explorers recorded many aftershocks, several of them strong, as they made their way into the San Gabriel Valley. Records kept by de Portola's group show they stopped feeling any earthquakes when they were exiting the San Fernando Valley.

Among geologists, seismologists and historians there is much debate on just how big this earthquake was and just where the epicenter was located. Given the records by the de Portola team it was believed by many in the science and historic communities this earthquake was around magnitude 6.0 and probably on The San Jacinto Fault in the Inland Empire. Part of this was based on the diaries of the de Portola team saying they felt no more earthquakes once exiting the San Fernando Valley.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) officially lists this earthquake, the very first earthquake in a long, forever growing list of Southern California earthquakes cataloged by the USGS, as M6.0 in the Los Angeles Basin. 

The when and where of this first recorded Southern California earthquake by the USGS has been challenged by University of California-Irvine geology professor Lisa Grant. Ms. Grant has proposed that the 1769 earthquake was actually M7.3 located on the relatively unknown San Joaquin Hills Fault located between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach, which resulted in the Orange County coastline being raised by almost 11 feet.


Put together by The Southern California Earthquake Center here is a scenario of a M6.7 earthquake on The San Joaquin Hills Fault.

The video above, combined with the diaries kept by the de Portola team, shows the theory by the UCI professor to be possible as strong shaking wanes in The San Fernando Valley. One thing the debate of the 1769 earthquake has brought up is the fact that Orange County has a major earthquake fault line that is not really well known, which has brought on more studies of the fault.

The when and where of this very first recorded Southern California earthquake still fascinates geologists and seismologists. Among other reasons, figuring out the mystery of this earthquake may help further understand and clarify the nature of earthquakes in Southern California (like the existence of a major earthquake fault in Orange County).

2 - Last Large Earthquake on Record

The last large earthquake in Southern California was a M7.9 in 1857, which is commonly called The Fort Tejon Earthquake. Not only was this the largest earthquake in Southern California recorded history, but this was one the largest earthquakes ever recorded in the United States.

This was also the last time The San Andreas Fault had a major rupture in Southern California. The infamous fault line is believed to have ruptured near Parkfield and continued rupturing south to just near The Cajon Pass. In fact, this was the last time "The Big One" happened in Southern California.

Southern California was nowhere near the megalopolis it is today, and so damage was limited to scars in the Earth. There were many scares in the Earth with cracks reported in the San Gabriel Valley and in the San Bernardino area.

In some areas the shaking is believed to have lasted up to, and even over three minutes. In Downtown L.A. the shaking is believed to have lasted over a minute.

Both the USGS and disaster planners fear the impact a repeat of this earthquake would have today.

The last time the lower southern segment of the San Andreas Fault between San Bernardino to the Salton Sea ruptured is believed to have been in or around 1690.

3 - Deadliest Earthquake Ever

The earthquake was only M6.4, but the deadliest earthquake in Southern California was the March 1933 Long Beach Earthquake, which killed 120 people. Much of the death was due to the brick construction of many buildings in Long Beach and Compton.


Compton in the aftermath of the 1933 earthquake. The fallen bricks are what killed many people in this earthquake. Used under a Creative Commons license.

Many schools were badly damaged, but luckily school was out when the earthquake struck at 5:55 p.m. (which should break the myth that big earthquakes only happen in the morning). Had this earthquake occurred just a few hours earlier the death toll would have been much higher with many school children killed.

This thought disturbed and worried a lot of people, and very quickly in April 1933 the state passed The Field Act that mandated earthquake resistant construction for schools.


Jefferson Junior High School in Long Beach after the quake. Damage to schools like this throughout the area and what could have been worried parents, teachers and students alike, which led to the passage of The Field Act. Used under a Creative Commons license.

In the 1971 Sylmar Earthquake schools built after The Field Act made it through with no damage while schools built before 1933 suffered major damage.


A newsreel showing the aftermath of the 1933 earthquake.

4 - The 1933 Epicenter Was NOT in Long Beach

The deadly jolt in 1933 will forever be known as The Long Beach Earthquake, but the epicenter was not in Long Beach. Rather, the epicenter was in Newport Beach on The Newport-Inglewood Fault.

While the damage was bad in Long Beach the earthquake ended up being the most damaging and deadliest earthquake in Orange County history. Most of the death and destruction was in Santa Ana. However there was also major damage in Garden Grove and Anaheim.


Very badly damaged building in Santa Ana. Used under Creative Commons license.

Damage was so bad in downtown Santa Ana that the Santa Ana Register, which was located in downtown Santa Ana, put together their newspaper working outside of their damaged building. 

Of course this would not be the first time an epicenter would be misidentified. The Sylmar Earthquake was not in Sylmar, but the hills above Sylmar. The Northridge Earthquake was not in Northridge, but in Reseda.

5 - The Christmas Day Earthquake

If you were asleep on Christmas morning in 1899 and felt the house shake you may have thought it was Santa Claus stuck in your chimney trying to wiggle his way out. It was not Santa, but Mother Nature showing that even big earthquakes do not get the holiday off.

At 4:25 a.m. a M6.5 earthquake stuck near San Jacinto on the fault of the same name, The San Jacinto Fault.

This earthquake was felt in a very wide area waking people up in Los Angeles, San Diego and as far as Santa Barbara.

Damage was greatest in San Jacinto and Hemet with many collapsed buildings. In Riverside many chimneys were knocked down and cracks in many buildings appeared. In fact, throughout much of the then sparsely populated Inland Empire the damage reports were much the same along with shattered windows.

The earthquake was deadly at the nearby Soboba Indian Reservation, where six people were killed by falling adobe walls.

In the Earth sciences community there is a little bit of debate if whether this earthquake was larger than M6.5 and just where exactly the epicenter was located. The Southern California Earthquake Center believes the epicenter may have been ten miles south of San Jacinto.

In the end, whether an earthquake hits on Christmas morning or during an imperialistic exploration journey, it is extraordinarily important to be prepared for the next big earthquake.

The JFK Assassination and The Southern California Connections

DOWNTOWN L.A. at 12th AND GRAND - It has been over 50 years since the shocking and sickening assassination of President John F. Kennedy one November afternoon on Elm Street in Dallas, Texas. Of course that assassination still remains of great interest to many people, from conspiracy types, which has spawned its own industry with many books, films and videos, among other projects, to viewing that event in light of recent problems facing The Secret Service.


Then presidential hopeful Kennedy arriving at the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena for the 1960 Democratic Convention. July 13, 1960. Public Domain photograph.

Like any major event in the United States, or the World, there always seems to be some kind of Southern California connection, and with the JFK assassination there is indeed a Southern California connection.

In fact, there are two Southern California connections surrounding the assassination of The 35th President of the United States.

In Orange County

Probably the better known connection is that the alleged assassin, Lee Harvey Oswald, who, on October 24, 1956, enlisted in the Marine Corps, lived in Orange County for about a year.

Mr. Oswald was apart of Air Control Squadron Nine at the Marine Corps Air Facility Santa Ana, which is actually in Tustin.

According to military records by way of The Warren Commission Report, Mr. Oswald arrived in Orange County in late 1958 after serving a tour of duty in Japan. 

It was only about a year that Mr. Oswald lived in Orange County, and, according to records, Mr. Oswald claimed that he needed to leave the Corps in late 1959 to take care of his mother and asked for a Dependency Discharge. The claim to take care of his mother soon turned out to be false as about a year later Mr. Oswald was living in the Soviet Union, without his mother.

During his time at the Air Facility in Tustin it was discovered Mr. Oswald kept communist literature in his locker, including several copies of The Daily Worker. Much of this was discovered during a surprise inspection, according to Mr. Oswald's former Caption, Robert Block.

Mr. Block said during his time in Tustin that Mr. Oswald's left-leaning tendencies bordered on the near-comic, according to a 1993 Los Angeles Times interview.

At the time the Marines were learning all about communism and, according to Mr. Block, the communist items found in Mr. Oswald's locker were not considered to be all that unusual, and was likely brushed off as no more than Mr. Oswald brushing up on his studies.

Mr. Block, who left the Marines in 1966 with a Honorable Discharge and went on to own an insurance agency in Garden Grove, says, basically, Mr. Oswald did not stand out one way or the other under his command.
 
Much has been said of Mr. Oswald's Marine training, which may have given him an advantage in allegedly gunning down Mr. Kennedy.

Mr. Block does not believe Mr. Oswald's Marine training would have been enough to have killed the President in the way it was carried out, unless the assassin had additional training.

As Mr. Block told Dana Parsons of the L.A. Times in 1993, "You've got a moving target there, and when you're talking about hitting somebody in the head from that distance and that angle, it just boggles my mind that he would even have that capability. I don't know where he could have practiced, whether in the woods or remote areas or in Russia, but you've got to come up with some pretty good marksmanship to carry off something like that."

Evidence and investigation by The Warren Commission shows that Mr. Oswald was able to kill Mr. Kennedy in the matter that it was carried out. While it may have been an advantage there has never been a direct connection that Mr. Oswald's military training gave him an advantage in killing the President. Furthermore, the Report shows Mr. Oswald did not receive any kind of training, military or otherwise, while in Soviet Russia.

Aside from being stationed in Tustin not much is known about Mr. Oswald's time in Orange County. All evidence shows that Mr. Oswald pretty much kept to himself and did not engage in much activity outside the Air Station, and it appears he never even visited Disneyland. If Mr. Oswald's left-leaning beliefs are to be believed he would have found much of Orange County to be hostile to him as much of The Orange Curtain at this time was a hotbed of activity for The John Birch Society (not unlike parts of Dallas).

Perhaps most importantly, there has never been any evidence to suggest Mr. Oswald was involved in any sort of conspiracy with any person or group in Orange County or elsewhere in Southern California. In fact, after the assassination of Mr. Kennedy five federal investigations showed Mr. Oswald acted alone and was not involved in any sort of conspiracy with another person, group or government.

Downtown Los Angeles

There is a second Southern California connection to events related to the assassination, and it involves Downtown L.A.

Sometimes forgotten by history in the whole chaos of events on November 22 was another death allegedly at the hands of Lee Harvey Oswald, the shooting death of Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit.

After allegedly shooting at the presidential motorcade Mr. Oswald had gone back to his home in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, and it is believed while there he retrieved a Smith and Wesson .38 Special caliber revolver.

Mr. Tippit, after the Mr. Kennedy's assassination, received several police radio messages describing the suspect in the assassination. Officer Tippit was driving slowly past the intersection of 10th Street and Patton Avenue, and that is where he pulled alongside a man who resembled the police description of the man seen firing shots at the presidential motorcade. 

According to the Warren Commission the man, identified was Mr. Oswald, walked over to Tippit's car and exchanged words with him through an open vent window. 

Mr. Tippit then opened his car door and as he walked toward the front of the car Mr. Oswald drew the .38 Special and fired three shots in rapid succession, and all three bullets hit Tippit in the chest. Mr. Oswald then walked up to Tippit's fallen body and fired a fourth shot directly into his right temple, fatally wounding him. Mr. Tippit died before any help could arrive, according to The Warren Commission.

Mr. Oswald shortly after went into the nearby Texas Theater without buying a ticket. A person working at the Texas Theater noticed this person "acting suspiciously" and was a bit concerned that he did not buy a ticket, and so the movie theater employee called the police.

When Dallas Police arrived, according to The Warren Commission, the lights in theater were turned up, and Mr. Oswald seemed ready to give up when he shouted, "Well, it is all over now!" Yet, according to Dallas Police Officer Nick McDonald, it was not quite over yet as Mr. Oswald pulled out a pistol tucked into the front of his pants, then pointed the pistol at Mr. McDonald, and pulled the trigger, but the pistol did not fire because the pistol's hammer came down on the webbing between the thumb and index finger of Mr. McDonald's hand when he grabbed the gun from Mr. Oswald. Then after a scuffle Mr. Oswald was arrested.

So, what does all this have to do with Downtown L.A.?

Well, turns out the Smith and Wesson .38 that killed Officer Tippit was bought in Downtown L.A., at 1221 s. Grand Avenue to be precise.

No, Mr. Oswald did not buy the weapon while he was living in Orange County, but rather he bought the gun by mail.

George Rose and Co. of L.A. was a major distributor of that type of gun. The Mail order division of George Rose and Co. was called, Seaport Traders, Inc., which is where Mr. Oswald sent in the order for the gun.

On January 3, 1963, Seaport Traders received a shipment of 99 guns in one case, according to The Warren Commission, from Empire Wholesale Sporting Goods, Ltd. in Montreal, and in that shipment was the Smith and Wesson .38 confirmed by investigators as the gun used to kill Officer Tippit.

Towards the end of January of that year Seaport Traders received through the mail a mail-order coupon and cash for a, ".38 St. W. 2'' Bbl.," and was signed in ink by, "A.J. Hidell, age 28," according to the Warren Commission. There was also a signature by "D.F. Drittal" attesting to the fact that the person ordering this gun from Downtown L.A. is a U.S. citizen and has never been convicted of a felony.

It was soon revealed the writing on the coupon was that of Mr. Oswald, and, to no real surprise, the writing of the person claiming "Mr. Hidell" was criminally and mentally clear to buy a gun was that also of Mr. Oswald, according to the Warren Commission. This was confirmed by the work of Dallas Police, the FBI and Secret Service, and Mr. Oswald's Russian born wife Marina, who confirmed to authorities the writing on the mail-order form to Downtown L.A. was that of her husband.

"A.J. Hidell" was an alias used by Mr. Oswald during his time in Dallas and New Orleans. This name was used by Mr. Oswald to rent a Post Office box at a Dallas Post Office, which is where the weapon from Downtown L.A. was sent. 

Owners and employees associated with George Rose and Co. and Seaport Traders, Inc. were never charged with any crime, as there was no crime to be charged with. Further investigation showed those in Downtown L.A. had no clue that one of their items played a part on that dark day in American history until they were visited by authorities.

The Overwhelming Evidence Against Oswald

Even though five federal investigations show and proved Lee Harvey Oswald was solely behind the assassination of John F. Kennedy with overwhelming evidence the actions of Jack Ruby forever prevented Mr. Oswald from having his day in court, and thus he was never convicted, or acquitted, of the murders of Mr. Kennedy or Officer J.D. Tippit (also why in this piece Mr. Oswald at times is referred to as the alleged murderer of Mr. Kennedy).

The weight of evidence from the five federal investigations of the murder of John F. Kennedy shows that Mr. Oswald acted alone, and no person or group from the U.S. government, Soviet Union and Cuba, nor Jack Ruby or any other group or person that may not have been a big fan of JFK, was ever involved at any time in the president's murder.

While much has been made about Mr. Oswald and conspiracies galore, if you have not yet read it then it is strongly recommended you read The Warren Commission Report. Yes, it is not exactly a quick afternoon read, but after reading it most people from the layman to any first year law student could see the overwhelming evidence shows Mr. Oswald committed the murders of John F. Kennedy and J.D. Tippit, and acted alone.

In Tustin Today

As for the Marine Corps Air Facility Santa Ana, well, by 1979 the name was changed to better reflect their location, Marine Corps Air Station Tustin. At the end of The Cold War came many military base closures around the country, and, with the Base Realignment and Closure Act of 1990, it was announced that the Tustin air station would be among those closed.

The full base closure came in July 1999, and since then much successful high-end suburban development has occurred in and around the defunct military base, which includes businesses like Whole Foods.

The old Marine air base is also home to the Orange County Sheriff's Department Academy.

In the last year there has been talk by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim baseball owner Arte Moreno of building a new stadium at the old base and moving the ball team to Tustin once the current lease in Anaheim expires. Los Angeles Angels of Tustin?

L.A. Is Where JFK's Official Journey to The White House Began

At the risk of stretching this piece thin it is worth noting that the 1960 Democratic National Convention was held at the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena, and that is where Mr. Kennedy accepted the Democratic nomination for President of the United States.


The 1960 Democratic Convention at the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena., July 1960. Public Domain photograph.

Come Election Day Mr. Kennedy's Republican competitor was Vice President Richard Nixon, who, after voting in Whittier, was suppose to go over to the Ambassador Hotel to watch the elections results, and hopefully give a victory speech, but instead made a trip to Tijuana.

A Note on The President's Brother

In 1968 at The Ambassador Hotel the president's brother, Robert F. Kennedy, was assassinated. In the aftermath of the death of RFK investigations found no links between the assassinations.

A Footnote To One of America's Darkest Days

In the end, at best Southern California's role in that whole tragedy that November day are mere, almost irrelevant footnotes of a bigger event, and, subsequently, it appears Mr. Oswald's time in Orange County did not really influence decisions he would make a few years later as, going back to his high school days in New York, he already showed signs of being a troubled man.

Go Do This: Ride The Red Cars This Weekend

PERRIS - If there is one thing that lives in the imagine of any true Southern Californian who knows their history, it is Pacific Electric, or otherwise commonly known as the red cars.

Okay, maybe you are new here and not too sure what these red cars are, or you are a young Southern Californian and have trouble believing that we actually had one of the best public transportation systems in the World. Well, this weekend you can see the evidence yourself, and ride it!

This weekend, Saturday June, 14, and Sunday June, 15, The Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris is having its Pacific Electric Weekend.

The museum's large fleet of Pacific Electric rail cars is very impressive, and now you can ride it.

An extra bonus if you happen to go Saturday, because that is also Rods and Rails Days.

According to the museum, 

The 15th Annual Rods and Rails sponsored by the City of Perris features cars from the 1920's through the 1970's. The event also features games and entertainment for the whole family, the 1800's Territorial Marshall reenactments, live music and contests and the annual Potato Festival sponsored by the Perris Valley Historical and Museum Association.

So you have old cars, the Pacific Electric and a Potato Festival, too. A POTATO FESTIVAL!

Oh, not only are the red cars there, but the yellow cars are are also at the museum (you do not know what those were, well, go to the museum this weekend and find out). In fact, according to the museum, they have the "West's largest collection of railway locomotives, passenger and freight cars, streetcars, interurban electric cars, buildings and other artifacts dating from the 1870's."

So, go to this, the Pacific Electric Weekend and The Orange Empire Railway Museum.

The museum is located at:

2201 s. "A" Street
Perris, California
92570

Yes, depending where you are at in Southern California, it is bit of drive, but it is totally worth it.

Now, here are some photographs when Pacific Electric ruled Southern California.


The Metro Red Line subway now rides underground here now, but here was the day when the big red car rode along Western Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood. No copyright infringement intended.


The red car slinking about in downtown Los Angeles at Hill Street and Venice Blvd. No copyright infringement intended.


Amid the Yellow Cabs and Greyhound buses this red car goes though the intersection of Sixth and L.A. Streets in Downtown L.A. No copyright infringement intended.


The Pacific Electric ran well outside L.A. and into Orange County, and out into the Inland Empire as seen in this photograph from Colton. No copyright infringement intended.


This photograph almost looks like it is from someplace that is not in L.A., but it is downtown L.A., and this photograph was taken shortly before the red cars would become one of many things that would not be here anymore. No copyright infringement intended.

Lakers Head Coach D'Antoni Resigns

LOS ANGELES - In what has been a very busy, and at times surreal, week for Los Angeles sports continues as Lakers head coach Mike D'Antoni announced his resignation on Wednesday.

It is unclear who will fill the shoes of Lakers' head coach.

This news follows the Donald Sterling affair, which broke over the weekend and climaxed on Tuesday when National Basketball Association Commissioner Adam Silver banned Clippers' owner Mr. Sterling from the NBA for life, fined him $2.5 million and will attempt to make Mr. Sterling sell the team. This is an unprecedented punishment in the history of American sports.

Since that announcement many high-profile people have voiced their interest in buying The Clippers, including, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, Sean "Ditty" Combs, David Geffen, Oscar De La Hoya and Oprah Winfrey.

Many sport analysts believe Mr. Sterling will not give up the team without a fight.

The Lakers have wrapped up their rather lackluster season, missing the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons while under Mr. D'Antoni, while The Clippers are currently in the West playoffs leading the series 3-2 against the Golden State Warriors.  

Top 11 Interesting Southern California Freeways

STUCK ON THE ORANGE CRUSH INTERCHANGE - We would like to think public transportation is finally coming into its own in Southern California, but let us face it, the freeway is still king. For a lot of us the freeway defines our way life, and that is not going to change anytime soon. So, here are the top 11 (some good, some bad) interesting freeways in Southern California.


The Cahuenga Pass once upon a time. Date and author unknown. No copyright infringement intended.

#11 - The Marina Freeway - State Route (SR) 90

Otherwise known as the Westside Wang this has to be one of the most useless freeways in Southern California, and does not seem to serve any real purpose unless you need to get from the Westfield Culver City mall (formerly called Fox Hills Mall) to Marina Del Rey in your Chevrolet right away. 

#10 - The Chino Hills Freeway - SR 71

While driving alongside Chino Hills State Park makes for a nice scenic drive The Chino Hills Freeway is not too sure if it wants to be a freeway, highway or wide boulevard. Adding to the 71's identity crisis is the name, because until somewhat recently it was known as the Corona Expressway, and before that it was called the Temescal Freeway.

#9 - "The 91"

The 91 has one of the worst commutes in the country, because for a few miles through Santa Ana Canyon there are no back roads or alternative routes and thus everybody must take this freeway. Like the 71 this freeway too has bit of an identity crisis. Most people know it as The Riverside Freeway, but between the Interstate 5 and the I-710 interchange it is called The Artesia Freeway, and between the I-710 and I-110 it is called The Gardena Freeway.


The proposed 1947 parkway plan. Photo courtesy of the Southern California Automobile Club. Used under Creative Commons. 

#8 - The Century Freeway - I-105

The last freeway to be competed in the Los Angeles Basin the Century Freeway is a vision of what our freeway system should have been when it was created by adding public transit rail lines along the freeway.


Aerial view of the I-105/I-710 interchange. Date and author unknown; no copyright infringement intended. Used under Creative Commons.

#7 - The Santa Ana Freeway - I-5

The most direct route between L.A. and Orange County embodies everything wrong with post-War Southern California suburban sprawl. While cities and developers were more than happy to build tract-homes and malls for as far as the eye can see the powers that be never saw to it to expand the 5 to accompany the growth until it was way too late.


Not the 5, but a 1954 photograph of The Hollywood Freeway, and although the style of cars have changed the traffic jam remains the same. Used under Creative Commons.

#6 - The Pomona Freeway - SR 60

On those off days when there is little traffic and it is clear and bright the 60 through the San Gabriel Valley actually makes for a nice drive with the green hills to the south of the freeway almost looking like the Pacific Northwest. Yet one cannot help but wonder that it would have made more sense to call the 60 The Riverside Freeway since it connects between downtown Riverside and Downtown L.A.

#5 - The San Gabriel River Freeway - I-605

While it is very convenient for people who live and/or work off the 605, but for an interstate freeway this feels like it does not have any real destination, and that it is kind of just "there," but there is something interesting about this freeway. The 605 goes from the foot of the mountains down to the foot of the ocean, and it is really the only freeway in Southern California that kind of does this.

#4 - The Harbor Freeway - I-110

Aside from going through the heart of L.A. the Harbor Freeway offers some of the best views of Downtown L.A.


The Harbor Freeway through Downtown L.A. in 1964 in a photograph by the great "Dick" Whittington. Used for information purposes; no copyright infringement intended.

#3 - The Glendale Freeway - SR 2

Would not it be ironic if Cal-Trans renamed the 2 The Hipster Freeway given that this freeway goes through some of L.A.'s hip neighborhoods and it is kind of an awkward freeway? That aside The Glendale Freeway southern terminus ends somewhat awkwardly in Echo Park as it is the uncompleted Beverly Hills Freeway. This uncompleted freeway stands as a testament to money and power in L.A. as East L.A. and South L.A. residents were not able to stop massive freeway construction in their neighborhoods, but Hancock Park and Beverly Hills residents waved their magic paper green wands to make this freeway go away. (Interestingly then Governor Ronald Reagan supported completing the 2 to Beverly Hills.)   


What could have been, a 1964 drawing of the proposed Beverly Hills Freeway. Photograph courtesy Metro Transportation Library and Archive.


#2 - The I-5 From L.A. to Tijuana

Despite the problems with the 5 it is exciting to think this freeway can take you from Downtown L.A. to another country in (traffic pending) around 90 minutes. How... European.


Postcard dated 1945 showing the old border crossing in Tijuana/San Diego.

#1 - The Arroyo Seco Parkway - SR 110

For some people who first experience this freeway, err parkway, it is kind of like a rare fine wine. It kind of takes you by surprise and it takes a moment to settle in, but once it settles in you realize this is one of the most beautiful freeways, excuse me, parkways. in the country. If you have to live life on the freeway The Arroyo Seco Parkway makes it all worth it.

Late 1950s photograph of the Arroyo Seco Parkway. Author unknown. Used under Creative Commons.

Know Your Faults: Puente Hills Fault

(This is an occasional series exploring the many earthquake fault lines in and around Southern California. This series is not intended to be a scholarly, scientific review of earthquake faults throughout Southern California, but hopefully will be a jumping off point for you to understand and further explore the fault lines that cross Southern California. )   

LA HABRA - It has been a weekend of cleaning up shattered glass, having homes assessed and reassessed to see if they are still livable, and dealing with aftershocks in what is turning out to be perhaps the most damaging earthquake in the Los Angeles Basin since the 1994 Northridge Earthquake.

At only magnitude 5.1 it is considered to be a low-end moderate earthquake, but when you get a typical Southern California shallow quake in the magnitude 5 range under an urbanized area that is when you begin to see damage, and that has been painfully proven for residents and businesses in the Fullerton and La Habra area.

The La Habra quake is bringing much needed attention to something rather unpleasant, the Puente Hills Fault, or otherwise called, the Puente Hills Thrust System.  (For the rest of this piece we shall just call it the Puente Hills Fault.)

How Unpleasant?

Just how unpleasant is the thought of this fault to geologists, seismologists and emergency planners? Well, a major quake, "The Big One," on the San Andreas Fault in Southern California is going to be a major life altering event, but a major earthquake on the Puente Hills Fault, with an expected magnitude 7.2-7.5, could take such a disastrous event to a whole new level. In fact, a major event on this fault is expected to be worse than a major event on the Newport-Inglewood Fault.

Officials at the United States Geological Survey (USGS) believe this La Habra earthquake was caused by the Puente Hills Fault. It is worth noting USGS also believes the 1987 Whittier-Narrows Earthquake, which seismologists originally thought was on the then newly discovered Elysian Park Fault, was also caused by this fault.

Why So Dangerous?

Using rough directions, the Puente Hills Fault runs about 25 miles, going east-to-west, from about the hills above Brea, across the lower San Gabriel Valley, going northwest into Downtown L.A., and further northwest ending just about before Griffith Park. Seeing and understanding where this fault runs you can understand why a major quake on this fault is such a dreadful thought to officials. 

Now unlike, say, the Whittier Fault or Newport-Inglewood Fault, which has noticeable scars in the earth, like hills, the Puente Hills Fault is a blind thrust fault with no surface scars. 

A Different Kind of Shaking

One of the many problems with a major earthquake on this fault is, unlike the Newport-Inglewood Fault or even the San Andreas Fault where those faults are vertical faults resulting in intense shaking near where the fault reaches the surface, the Puente Hills Fault is a horizontal fault with intense shaking felt over a much larger area.

 
A shake-map scenario of a M7.1 Puente Hills Fault rupture created by the Southern California Seismic Network at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in partnership with USGS. No copyright infringement intended; Shown for educational purposes only.

Just How Bad?

The Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) along with the University of Southern California conducted a study in 2003 that showed a major earthquake on the Puente Hills Fault could cause "fatalities ranging between 3,000 and 18,000," along with "displaced households ranging from 142,000 to 735,000, with an average of 274,000."

With a fault running from the lower San Gabriel Valley, into Downtown L.A. up to Griffith Park you would have a major earthquake occurring in Southern California's oldest neighborhoods. Seismologists along with emergency planners believe such a quake could result in severe, catastrophic damage to Downtown L.A.'s older, historic buildings along Broadway, Main Street and Grand Avenue. 

What about the tall, modern skyscrapers that gives L.A. its modern, worldly skyline?

Thomas H. Jordan, director of the SCEC, told the L.A. Downtown News in March 2011 that, “A 7.5 at Puente Hills would pretty much be a worst-case scenario for Downtown,” with shaking lasting more than a minute. Mr. Jordan says, “It’s conceivable that some of the high-rise buildings would collapse [...] A lot of the modern structures in Downtown are very well constructed, so it would take a very extreme event like [a 7.5] to really cause damage to those very well-constructed buildings.”

A major quake could also have a catastrophic affect on the older industrial neighborhoods just southeast of Downtown L.A.

Of course it needs to be noted that this fault crosses over major freeway and freeway interchanges, along with major railway lines and public transit lines. Chances are good that there will be some kind of damage to these lines in the event of a major earthquake.

Some may remember during the Northridge Earthquake railroad tracks actually bent in a few areas.

Of course, there are the fires that will likely break out, and the water-pipes that will burst.

One of the most dreadful worst case scenarios is a major earthquake occurring during the Santa Ana Winds.  

The study predicts total damage cost may come to $250 billion.

While a lot of the focus involving a major earthquake on the Puente Hills Fault has been focused on L.A. it is expected that Orange County will have severe damage with strong ground shaking expected in north Orange County. The M5.1 La Habra earthquake was hardly a dress rehearsal for what is expected in Orange County.


YouTube video created by USGS, SCEC and San Diego Super Computer Center showing the shaking expected from a major Puente Hills Fault earthquake. No copyright infringement intended; shown for educational purposes only. 

Not to be left out the Inland Empire is expected to receive strong shaking and some severe damage, particularly in southwestern San Bernardino County.

So, all around when you get right down to it just how bad will a major Puente Hills Fault earthquake be? Well, there is only really one way to find out, and that is when Mother Nature decides to show us. 

When Will Mother Nature Decide To Let Us Know?

Well, according to USGS researcher Ned Field, the lead author of the SCEC-USC study, a major rupture on the Puente Hills Fault occurs about once every 3,000 years. "In fact," says Mr. Field in the study, "as an individual your odds of dying of a heart attack or an auto accident are much greater than dying from this earthquake." 

If you are like most Southern Californians chances are when you hear that number you probably think there is not anything to worry about, because 3,000 years is a long way away. Well, here is the bad news, geologists and seismologists are not too sure where they are at in the cycle, such as if we are maybe 2,800 years away from the fault rupturing, or one month away from the fault rupturing.

Aside from knowing when the fault ruptures the SCEC-USC study found that the Puente Hills Fault has ruptured at least four times in the last 11,000 years, with earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 7.2 to 7.5. 

It should be clear by now even if the next major rupture is a couple thousand years away the Puente Hills Fault is going to cause some problems for us in the years to come. 

It is worth noting that in the same March 2011 L.A. Downtown News story Mr. Jordan points out the San Andreas Fault is still a bigger threat to the area, because earthquakes there happen about every 100 to 200 years. 

The last major San Andreas' rupture in our area was the M7.9 1857 Fort Tejon Earthquake, which rupture along 225 miles of the San Andreas Fault beginning near Parkfield and rupturing south to the Cajon Pass.

The last major southern rupture of the San Andreas Fault between the Cajon Pass and the Salton Sea is believed to have occurred around 1690.

Why Does It Seem Like I Am Only Hearing About This Fault Now?

With such a dangerous fault running through Downtown L.A. you think you would of heard all about the Puente Hills Fault growing up or living in Southern California for many years. After all, at one point we have heard all about the San Andreas Fault, Newport-Inglewood Fault, Hollywood Fault, San Jacinto Fault, and Whittier Fault, among many others, but it seems like there has not been a lot said about this extraordinarily dangerous fault. 

You are not alone in thinking and believing you have only recently heard about the Puente Hills Fault, because it was just barely discovered in 1999, and it has taken a few years after that for officials to really understand the danger it poses. 

In the aftermath of the Northridge quake there was urgency among geologists and seismologists to attempt to find blind faults around Southern California.

So Do All These Recent Quakes Mean We're Going To Have a Big Quake?

The recent earthquakes in Orange County and L.A., along with the January 15 M4.4 shaker in Fontana, may simply mean, according to USGS, that Southern California is coming out of its "earthquake drought." 

As Doctor Lucy Jones from USGS has pointed out many times in various media interviews, following the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge Earthquake the L.A. area, aside from the little jolt here and there, has been very seismologically quiet. It seems possible the 1992 Landers/Big Bear earthquakes along with the Northridge quake may have relieved stress for a time in Southern California, but now we may be reentering a seismologically active period in Southern California.

It Could Happen Anytime!

Whether it is preceded by a series of noticeable earthquakes, or no quakes at all, a major earthquake can occur anytime in Southern California. 

We all want a direct answer to the unknowable, and that is WHEN is a major earthquake going to happen? The direct answer to that is this, at this time there is no accurate way to predict earthquakes, and thus there is no way of knowing when a major earthquake is going to occur.

Just Be Prepared!

For a lot of people the above answer is not the one they want to hear, but it is the only answer available. So, all we can do is prepare and have a plan in place when it does happen.

Resources To Help You Prepare

Prepare SoCal from The American Red Cross

Ready L.A. - City of L.A. Emergency Preparedness 

Los Angeles County - Emergency Preparedness

Ready O.C. - Orange County Emergency Preparedness 

San Bernardino County - Emergency Preparedness 

Riverside County Fire Department - Emergency Management

Ready Ventura County - Emergency Management  

San Diego County - Emergency Preparedness

Cal-OES - California Governor's Office of Emergency Services

Tips on Preparing an Emergency Kit from Ready.Gov

Go To This Thursday: L.A. Art Book Fair

DOWNTOWN L.A. - Barnes and Noble may be dying, and Borders is long dead, but books are not dead, much less art books, or zines, or the independent publisher, and especially the independent bookstore owner, and proving this point that books are still alive and will never, ever die is the 2014 L.A. Art Book Fair.

Opening this Thursday at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA in Downtown Los Angeles the L.A. Art Book Fair will feature, according to the press release, "a unique event for artists’ books, art catalogs, monographs, periodicals, and zines presented by over 250 international presses, booksellers, antiquarians, artists, and independent publishers."

If you love the arts, love the independent press, and love Los Angeles, then go to this on Thursday.

Expect to see, according to MOCA, "Featured projects include a Queer Zines Exhibition curated by Philip Aarons and AA Bronson, The Classroom series of talks and lectures curated by David Senior, K-CHUNG Radio with live coverage of - and broadcast from - the fair, and a number of special project rooms. In addition, MOCAtv and the LA Art Book Fair team up to bring you a series of curated screenings, panels, and performances by some of our favorite artists and performers, and the CABC comes, for the first time, to the west coast for a one-day conference."

Of course if you cannot make it Thursday to the opening the show runs at MOCA through Sunday.

Hopefully this will inspire you to support the arts, or perhaps have your very own zine or printing press. Or maybe just a little bit of both.

Other highlights of the weekend show include, We Want to Talk About Feminism, Laura Owens in conversation with Wendy Yao, FEAR, by Karl Haendel Belvedere, by David Hartt, Johan Kugelberg, Suppose and a Pair of Jeans, by Anna Sew Hoy, and XE(ROX) & PAPER + SCISSORS, among others.

There will also be a lot of people signing their books at this event, too.

Here is a complete list of events.

If you have been wondering, "how can I support the locals arts, and crazy zine makers, and all these indie bookstore owners," well, this is your answer, and so go to the L.A. Art Book Fair and help support part of what makes Southern California great.

Here is something really cool about all the L.A. Art Book Fair, it is free! So go!

Cannot make it Thursday for the opening, well you have until Sunday. 

The 2014 L.A. Art Book Fair.

Opening: Thursday, January 30, 6–9 pm
Friday, January 31, 11 am-5 pm
Saturday, February 1, 11 am–6 pm
Sunday, February 2, 12 pm–6 pm  

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
152 North Central Avenue
Los Angeles 90012
Dial (213) 626-6222
Moca.org

Free free to take The Gold Line to the show.

The After Party!

What would a good show be without an after party, and there is quite an after party MOCA and Burger Records have planned.

The L.A. Art Book Fair will be presenting the L.A. Art Book Fair After Party at The Church on York on February 1. Over there and up there on York Boulevard will be performances by Colleen Green, La Luz, White Fang, and Wyatt Blair.

So go!

Go To This Saturday Night: Nice Dreams at King Eddy Saloon

DOWNTOWN L.A. - Saturday night is here and you want go out, but refuse to deal with all the nonsense many Los Angeles bars and clubs are up to these days (what is up with bottle service after all?), and you also want to hear some good music? Look no further than Downtown L.A., because tonight is your night as it is highly recommended you check out Nice Dreams. If you are looking to get your dance on to northern soul, backbeat, rare soul, heavy R&B, chunky funk, "Art Laboe oldies," and the best of the 1960's and what promises to be the best of "Pre-1975 nostalgic vinyl," then go to Nice Dreams at King Eddy Saloon.

For those that grew up listening to KRLA, or KGFJ, and still listen to KJLH on your transistor radio this is a great place to hear the music that really had an influence on your life (and about the only place in L.A. you can hear this great music broadcast given our so-called oldies radio stations refuse to even touch most of this music these days). Even if you never listened to those legendary L.A. radio stations, but love the music this is going to be a fantastic club. If you have been curious about this music here is the place to check it out. It is music that will never be lost to time and decades later will still fill a dancefloor.



At the deejay deck armed with a stack of vinyl about a mile high will be Alex Transistor, King Steadybeat, DJ Mila, along with famed rotating Nice Dreams residents, Soul Libre, Huckleberry Friend and Rob Free. Perhaps there may be some others spinning the wax on the turntable as the night goes on.   

The beat begins at 9 p.m. and goes until 2 a.m.

Best of all there is no cover charge, no bottle service, but it is 21 and over.

So dance to the tunes and drink where Charles Bukowski had more than a few in his time!

Nice Dreams at King Eddy Saloon
131 E. 5th Street (Between Main St. and Los Angeles St.)
Los Angeles
90013
Dial (213) 629-2023

Go To This Tuesday: The Aquadolls at The Smell

DOWNTOWN L.A. - If you are looking for something fun and maybe discover a new, excited band then it is highly suggested you go to The Smell in downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday evening to see The Aquadolls.

The Aquabats will be sharing the stage with, Together Pangea and The Audacity.

As The Aquadolls, who are on the independent label Burger Records, tell on their Facebook page, the band was, "Founded by Melissa Brooks, The Aquadolls started in January 2012. The current lineup is Melissa Brooks on vocals/guitar, joined by Ryan Frailich on vocals/guitar, Josh Crawford on bass, and Colin Moore on drums. The Aquadolls songs put forth “trip out” sorta vibes, as well as quite aggressive ones."

Here is a recent interview The Aquadolls did with Impression Magazine.

Tickets to Tuesday's show are $10.

UPDATE: Oh crap! According to The Smell's website this show is SOLD OUT and no tickets will be available at the door. Well, if you are a regular show goer then you know when a show is reportedly sold out there is always a way to get in, and so it is still highly suggested you try to do what you can to get into this show.

Checking out The Aquadolls' tune below, "Our Love Will Always Remain," you can tell there is going to be a lot of fun at their show Tuesday.

So go!

The Aquadolls at The Smell, Tuesday January 21.

The Smell
247 South Main Street (Just about at 3rd and Main Streets)
Los Angeles
90012

If you are not familiar with The Smell just remember when you go Tuesday the entrance is located in the alley between 3rd and Spring Streets.