Sunday marks the 22nd anniversary of the 1994 Northridge earthquake that rocked the Santa Clarita and San Fernando Valleys, changing countless lives forever.

KHTS AM-1220, which was at the time known as KBET became the official disaster radio station for the Santa Clarita Valley, delivering safety information to residents around the clock.

Damage

The 6.7 magnitude quake occurred at 4:31 a.m. and severed gas mains, toppled buildings and collapsed freeways throughout Southern California.  

Large sections of the I-5 overpass fell near Santa Clarita, and sixty people were killed.

More than 7,000 were injured, including many in Santa Clarita, 20,000 were left homeless and more than 40,000 buildings were damaged across four counties.

Response

Damage to the I-5 and 14 Freeways prevented thousands from moving in and out of Santa Clarita, and many took to public spaces, such as the city’s public parks, for shelter.

An Emergency Operations Center was set up within an hour at City Hall, despite damage to the building in the quake.

However, after the building was reexamined at daybreak, officials moved the center out to the parking lot, as aftershocks had made the building unsafe.

Restoration

Henry Mayo Newhall Memorial hospital was left without water after the quake, but otherwise was able to treat injured residents effectively.

Less than a full day after the initial earthquake, power was restored to most of the Santa Clarita community by Southern California Edison, Los Angeles County Fire and Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station officials.

The rubble from the I-5 freeway collapse was recycled and used to lay road base for the northern end of McBean Parkway.