Monday marks the 55th anniversary of the 6.6 earthquake that struck the San Fernando Valley.
In 1971, more than 60 people were killed as Olive View Community Hospital and the Veterans Administration Hospital collapsed. The Van Norman Dam was damaged, and fears of it bursting led to the evacuation of 80,000 people
In KNX News’ Bob Brill’s documentary film "Shaken: The Great Sylmar Earthquake,” USGS geologist Sue Hough said the earthquake was one of the most important seismic events in U.S history.
“Sylmar really was definitely was one of the most pivotal earthquakes in US history for a couple of reasons, and one was the shaking that I talked about,” she said. “Sylmar came along and shook the earth in general much more strongly than anyone had thought possible.”
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Brill, who was a senior at Sylmar High School at the time of the earthquake, spoke with classmates about the day.
“Gosh, I heard this big boom and I thought it must be being bombed by the Russians,” one classmate recalled.
Another classmate also thought it was some type of attack.
“We're finally getting bombed, and this is the start of a war,” he said.
Following the earthquake, changes were made in building codes, and the Urban Search and Rescue was developed, as was the Citizens Emergency Response Teams.
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