Essay On San Francisco Earthquake Of 1906

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The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 was a one of the most devastating natural disasters that United States had ever seen at the time. Although the earthquake lasted under a measly minute, it caused significant damage and began various fires. Having started on April 16 at around five in the morning, with an approximate magnitude of 8.3, the earthquake caused an abundant amount of casualties as well as an outburst of fires that demolished countless homes and buildings. Moreover, after taking the lives of more than 3,000 people as well as the homes of 225,000 residents, many families were left homeless and permanently scarred by this disaster. Additionally, the economic impact of this earthquake, in today’s standards, caused an estimated 10.5 billion dollars worth of damage solely from the disaster and its subsequent fires. Although the earthquake only lasted for around twenty seconds, the result of the earthquake was immense. While destroying more than 28,000 buildings the total property damage resulted in about 350 million dollars. Translated into today's money worth, the total damage costs summed up to an approximate total of 10.5 billion dollars. The earthquake ruptured the San Andreas fault to the north and the south of the city, for a …show more content…

The House and the Senate Appropriations Committees began helping the community by paying for their medical supplies, water, food, tents, etc. At the moment of the shock, survivors were kept in city parks and were provided their need by the government. Army headquarters were called to contribute to the relief system. Precisely two weeks after the earthquake, 300,000 people were fed at food stations. In addition, the army established twenty-one refugee camps, which were the safest and cleanest shelters available. The city also improved its watering system, cleared up the rubble, and rebuilt immediately. Within a few months, cable cars were coming up and down the streets of San

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