You really don’t know when there’s going to be another significantly damaging earthquake, but we know it’s going to happen.”

Thursday marks the 35th anniversary of the Loma Prieta Earthquake – the 6.9 magnitude earthquake that struck the Bay Area. Every year we remember the tragedy by practicing earthquake drills.

On Oct. 17 35 years ago, a 6.9-magnitude quake tore through the Bay Area, killing 63 people and injuring over 3,700. The big picture: The Loma Prieta earthquake was centered in Santa Cruz County on a section of the San Andreas fault.

You really don’t know when there’s going to be another significantly damaging earthquake, but we know it’s going to happen.”

Marin is bracketed by two major faults: the Rodgers Creek-Hayward fault in San Pablo Bay and the San Andreas fault in West Marin. The USGS estimates a 72% chance of a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in the Bay Area within the next 30 years. Since Loma Prieta, steps have been taken to prepare for the next large earthquake.

The East Coast has hurricanes, the Midwest has tornadoes and California has earthquakes.  This Oct. 17  will be the 35th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake and coincides with the annual Great ShakeOut drill,

A look back at local, national and world events through Deseret News archives. On Oct. 17, 1989, an earthquake measuring 6.9 in magnitude struck Northern California, killing 63 people and causing up to $10 billion worth of damage. In California, it was the first big quake. For many readers, this earthquake was memorable for one reason: baseball.

On Oct. 17, 1989, an earthquake measuring 6.9 in magnitude struck northern California, killing 63 people and causing up to $10 billion worth of damage. In 1777, British forces under Gen. John Burgoyne surrendered to American troops in Saratoga, New York, in a turning point of the Revolutionary War.

The San Francisco Ferry Building before the Loma Prieta earthquake with the Embarcadero Freeway in the foreground. Expand to read more San Francisco Public Library Listen to this article 2 min On the anniversary of the last big earthquake to hit the city we examine the physical differences in the city before and after the seismic event.