The 1906 Earthquake
On Wednesday, April 18, 1906, at 5:12 a.m., a 7.8- magnitude earthquake awakened the city of San Francisco. The earthquake lasted for sixty-five terrifying seconds of violent shaking and ended with an unknown number of dead family members, neighbors, as well as hundreds of thousands of people trapped in a city surrounded by water. To make matters worse, a series of fires broke out throughout the city. For three days, persistent, raging fires challenged the possibility of a coherent emergency response. By the end of the week, almost 98 percent of San Francisco's city structures in the most populated 521 blocks lay in ruins. At least 250,000 residents fled the city by ferry, train, car, and foot, at least 100,000 remained