USGS photo: ID. Wallace, R.E. 547

February 9, 1971 - San Fernando Earthquake, California, US

At 6:01 am, a magnitude 6.5-6.7 earthquake strikes the San Fernando Valley.
Although the loss of life is relatively low, the earthquake nearly causes the failure
of the Lower San Fernando Dam. 80,000 people are evacuated for just such an eventuality.