The onset of the Great Depression and the 1933 Long Beach earthquake pushed the Breakers into bankruptcy . The 1933 earthquake , which resulted in over 100 deaths , caused only minor damage to the Breakers , but the widespread destruction in Long Beach caused major damage to the city 's tourist trade . The hotel served as the headquarters for the Red Cross relief efforts following the earthquake . In August 1934 , the '' Los Angeles Times '' reported that the hotel had sustained a significant operating loss in 1933 and was delinquent on its real estate and personal properties taxes for the past three years
1933 Long Beach earthquake
1933 Long Beach earthquake
Breakers Hotel (Long Beach, California)