1. The Great San Francisco Earthquake (1906)
The Great San Francisco Earthquake of April 18, 1906 stands as a haunting reminder of nature’s fury. With a staggering magnitude of 7.9, this quake tore through San Francisco and neighboring communities, instantly reducing entire blocks to rubble. It’s estimated that around 3,000 people lost their lives, a number made even more tragic by the chaotic fires that raged for days afterward. More than 200,000 residents were displaced, forced to sleep in parks and makeshift camps as their homes burned. The financial toll was catastrophic, reaching about $400 million at the time, which would be over $10 billion today. The disaster exposed the city’s lack of preparedness, pushing leaders to rethink urban planning and emergency response. As smoke choked the skyline, survivors were left to pick through ashes, sparking nationwide attention and leading to the founding of the Seismological Society of America. Today, the scars of…..