What did readers talk about after the Northridge quake in 1994? Fires, spared TVs and God

LA Times ^ | July 6, 2019 | Paul Thornton

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Thursday’s earthquake was the largest in Southern California since Jan. 17, 1994, when the magnitude-6.7 Northridge earthquake killed 57 people and caused billions of dollars in damage. To many who have lived in Los Angeles for decades, that earthquake is the standard by which all others are compared.

For that reason, it’s worth looking back at what L.A. Times letter writers’ reactions were in the weeks after that disaster...It’s striking that mixed in with expressions of dismay, resolve and gratitude for first responders are comedic quips and (of course) political attacks.

On Jan. 21, 1994, reader F. Murillo of Rancho Santa Margarita decried tax-and-spend state legislators:

“As the story of our latest earthquake unfolded, I couldn't help but wonder how long it would take Assembly Speaker Willie Brown to suggest a new increase in the sales tax. What a surprise — with all that media covering the earthquake, he gets on the news with the proposal in less than 12 hours!”

“But I'm a little puzzled. Do we just keep adding a half percent here, a full percent there every time we have an earthquake? Should we get a committee to study how much tax increase we need to cover the various magnitude quakes?”

Jeff Douthwaite of Santa Barbara wondered about divine intervention, or a lack thereof:

“If it takes an earthquake or two to awaken people to the reality of God and all the associated mumbo jumbo, then it’s a plus. Such shock therapy may help people grow up. It should be abundantly clear by now to all that there is no God up there directing quakes or fires or floods, etc. It is simply the way the Earth is made.

“Study geology, physics or civil engineering if you want to know. God has nothing to do with it.”

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Was a child at the time...Looking back though: Angelenos had just weathered through the L.A. riots, and in a year or two the OJ Simpson drama was about to unfold...The deaths of two great California-born Presidents (Nixon and Reagan), the recall of CA governor Gray Davis and ascent of Arnold Schwarzenegger, and then our steady yet rapid political descent into liberal madness...oh my!

Praying this round of earthquakes is a shakeup and wake-up call for the good! For the state's restoration and revival. If CA goes RED again, what a political earthquake that would be!

[CondoleezzaProtege]

correction: Reagan was not born in California, but made it his home later on.

[bagster]

These navel gazing fgts need to toughen up.

They are not good pioneer stock.

It was an earthquake. So what.

#PinchePanocchitas

[A Cyrenian]

"navel gazing fgts"

Besides yourself, isn't that all that California has in the state?

[AnotherUnixGeek]

What did readers talk about after the Northridge quake in 1994? Fires, spared TVs and God

I'd just gotten out of college and was living in Canoga Park. My neighbor and I talked about the fact that the Cowboys had just beaten my 49ers in the playoffs while we cleaned up our respective apartments after the quake. Sewer line from the apartment building had broken, power was out, some damage to property. But losing to the Cowboys in the playoffs for the second year in a row was the worst. It sucked.

[bagster]

Besides yourself, isn't that all that California has in the state?

Ya, mostly.

However Devin Nunes, Victor David Hansen, Jim Robinson, and I remain surrounded in one of the few red pockets in this occupied state.

#Wolverine

[CarolinaReaganFan]

RE: If CA goes RED again

That would take a Yuge quake or two , all of SF/Oak plus LA County (excluding the South Bay) would have to break off.
At least the san Andreas is in a good spot. I was near El Camino College then(Torrance).. Lotsa rockn’roll but no damage for me.

[Cold War Veteran - Submarines]

For now. Just wait until the 2020 “vote harvesting”. It will make 2018 look like child’s play.

[BobL]

(photo caption)
“A collapsed portion of the State Route 15 interchange with the 5 Freeway after the Northridge earthquake in January 1994. (Los Angeles Times)”

You’d think the Leftist doing the report could look at a map before making an idiot of himself. First, there is no “State Route 15” in California, there is I-15, but it is about 60 miles east of where that picture was taken. But there is a “State Route 14”, which goes to Palmdale, right there. These are big highways virtually every local who drives there knows their numbers, if the Leftist could put his anti-Americanism down for 5 minutes and actually drive himself (rather than having some bearded cameraman do it for him), he’d know something as basic as what highway it is.

[al baby]

Clarence Dean interchange

[BobL]

“Clarence Dean interchange”

Wow, sad story on his part.

[Veto!]

Visited my dearest friend in LA the week after that quake. She was a smart lady, instead of being afraid, she immediately called the condo association’s insurance company, even before quaking stopped. They got things fixed right away. If you waited five more minutes, you’d be 100,000the on the list to get your place repaired.

[yefragetuwrabrumuy]

The filming of an episode of the George Lucas series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles happened on location in the area when the Northridge Earthquake hit. In the episode you can see and hear the actors and crew, who ironically were doing a story about a film production crew, realizing that an earthquake was happening.

As part of the closing credits to that episode, they included:

“Lucasfilm Ltd. would like to thank the people of Fillmore, California for their invaluable assistance during the 1994 Northridge Earthquake which occurred on the first day of shooting of HOLLYWOOD FOLLIES. Their support during the difficult time following the earthquake was truly inspirational and greatly appreciated.”