Intensity distribution and isoseismal maps for the Northridge, California, earthquake of January 17, 1994

Abstract

We present isoseismal maps, Modified Mercalli intensities, and community summaries of damage for the Mw = 6.7 Northridge, California, earthquake of January 17, 1994. First-person accounts of the effects of the earthquake on individual households are given for some communities. The highest intensity we assign is IX, which we assign to an area in Northridge and Granada Hills, to an area of Sherman Oaks, to an area along Interstate-5 in which freeway structures collapsed, and to two specific sites in western Los Angeles and Santa Monica. At the lowest intensities, the Northridge earthquake was felt over a land area of approximately 214,000 square km in southern California and adjacent Nevada and Arizona. The earthquake was also felt in Baja California, Mexico.