In the early morning hours of January 17 , 1994 , the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles was hit by a 6.7 magnitude earthquake , known as the " Northridge earthquake " . The quake killed more than 70 people and injured 9,000 . Most of the fatalities were attributed to collapsed buildings , parking structures , or freeways . Striking an urban area , it was very destructive , causing $ 20 billion in damage
Northridge earthquake
1994 Northridge earthquake
History of the United States (1991–2008)