1933 Long Beach earthquake

1933 Long Beach earthquake
Damage to the John Muir School, Pacific Avenue, Long Beach
Los Angeles
UTC time1933-03-11 01:54:00
ISC event905457
USGS-ANSSComCat
Local dateMarch 10, 1933 (1933-03-10)
Local time5:54 P.M. PST
Magnitude6.4 Mw
Depth10 km (6.2 mi)
Epicenter33°37′52″N 118°00′00″W / 33.631°N 118.000°W / 33.631; -118.000
FaultNewport-Inglewood Fault
TypeStrike-slip
Areas affectedSouth Coast (California)
United States
Total damage$40 million
Max. intensityMMI VIII (Severe)
Peak acceleration0.22 g
Peak velocity20 cm/s (est)
TsunamiNo
AftershocksM5.4 on Oct 2 1933
Casualties115–120 killed

The 1933 Long Beach earthquake took place on March 10 at 5:54 P.M. PST south of downtown Los Angeles. The epicenter was offshore, southeast of Long Beach, California, on the Newport–Inglewood Fault. The earthquake had a magnitude estimated at 6.4 Mw, and a maximum Mercalli intensity of VIII (Severe). Damage to buildings was widespread throughout Southern California. It resulted in 115 to 120 fatalities and an estimated $40 million worth of property damage, equivalent to $972 million in 2024. The majority of the fatalities resulted from people running out of buildings exposing themselves to the falling debris.