On April 18, 1906, 100 years ago this month, a powerful earthquake (magnitude 7.8) struck Northern California. During the minutes of violent ground shaking, San Francisco and many smaller cities were devastated. Over four square miles and more than 28,000 buildings in San Francisco were destroyed by the earthquake during the three-day devastating fire that engulfed nearly 500 city blocks.
As the 1908 map illustrates, residents of the city were quick to rebuild. By 1908, just two years after the fire, more than 14,000 building permits were issued for reconstruction.
Library of Congress Earthquake and Earthquake Engineering, 05-2, 7/2005