EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE TO SCHOOLS

Collapsed School in Kern County, CA Earthquake, 1952

Earthquake of July 21, 1952, Kern County, California, USA. Location: south of Bakersfield; Affected Area: 414,000 km2; Damage: 50 million. This was the main shock of the series of earthquakes that struck this area. It was the largest earthquake in the United States since 1906. Several hundred people were injured. Nine of the deaths resulted from the collapse of a brick wall in Tehachapi. About 20 schools were damaged or destroyed by this earthquake. Many of the schools that collapsed were built prior to 1933. Schools built after 1933 were constructed to resist lateral forces and incurred only minor damage. These included Caliente, Tehachapi, El Tejon, Lakeside Union, and Santa Barbara city schools. Older schools that were destroyed or had to be abandoned included Shaffer, Cummings Valley, Buttonwillow, Di Giorgio, Fairfax, and Elk Hills schools. Porterville Union High School auditorium and several other older schools incurred moderate damage. The Cummings Valley School completely collapsed. The school building was reportedly constructed in 1910 of concrete walls and a wood roof. The building was a total loss. Photo Credit: NOAA/NGDC.