2003 San Simeon earthquake

Earthquake in California May 2025 February 2025 2003 San Simeon earthquake 2003-12-22 19:15:56 nc21323712 7215050 Building_destroyed_after_6.5_earthquake_-_panoramio.jpg The earthquake caused significant damage to Pan Jewelers upon collapse of the Acorn Building USA California 1 California 34.05 -118.25 Los Angeles 100 right Green pog.svg California 35.62 -121.19 San Simeon 100 left Green pog.svg California 35.47 -120.65 Paso Robles 100 Green pog.svg California 35.62 -121.07 Bullseye1.png 40 290 right 2003 12 22 11:15 6.6 Mw 10 mi on Central Coast (California) United States $250–300 million 35.62 N 121.07 W inline,title Blind thrust VIII 2 killed 40 injured 2003_San_Simeon_earthquake_ShakeMap.jpg ShakeMap made by the United States Geological Survey for the earthquake The 2003 San Simeon earthquake struck at 11:15 PST (19:15 UTC) on December 22 on the Central Coast of California, about 7 mi km northeast of San Simeon. Probably centered in the Oceanic fault zone within the Santa Lucia Mountains, it was caused by thrust faulting and the rupture propagated southeast from the hypocenter for 12 miles (19 km). The most violent ground movement was within 50 miles of the epicenter, though the earthquake was felt as far away as Los Angeles. With a moment magnitude of 6.6, it was the most destructive earthquake to hit the United States since the Northridge quake of 1994. Damage The area around the epicenter being sparsely populated, the most severe damage was in Paso Robles, 24 miles (39 km) east-southeast. Two women were killed when the Acorn Building, an unreinforced masonry structure built in 1892, collapsed. Other unreinforced masonry buildings, some more than a century old, were extensively damaged. No structure that had even partial retrofitting collapsed. Two sulfur hot springs in Paso Robles erupted after the earthquake. One was underneath the parking lot of the recently opened city hall/library building. There was formerly a bath house at the location, and the spring was capped after it closed down. Hot water and sediment were released at a rate of about 1,300 gallons per minute (4,900 liters per minute), forming a large sinkhole and endangering the building. Emergency efforts saved the building. However, it took until 2010 to fully repair the damage and fill in the hole. This was mainly caused by the requirement for a full Environmental Impact Study, and the inability to do any work on the project, other than the initial emergency work. Another hot spring flowed out of the embankment at the Paso Robles Street exit on U.S. Route 101. There was a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the relatives of the 2 women killed in the earthquake against Mary Mastagni, and several trusts which owned the Acorn Building. The jury found Mastagni negligent in the care and maintenance of the Acorn Building, due to not retrofitting the building, in violation of city ordinances. The jury awarded nearly $2 million to the plaintiffs.Strickland Tonya Cornejo Annmarie Appeal lost in quake deaths https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/article39127485.html 23 September 2022 San Luis Obispo Tribune 25 June 2010 Outside of Paso Robles the damage was less severe, with unreinforced masonry buildings taking minor to moderate damage. Buildings even 40 miles from the epicenter in San Luis Obispo suffered minor damage such as ceiling tiles falling. Brick veneers were also disproportionately affected. In addition, water tanks in Paso Robles, Templeton and Los Osos were damaged. Residential buildings, predominantly one- to two-story wood-frame structures, weathered the quake with little or no damage. The building that housed Atascadero's City Hall was damaged and vacated shortly after the quake. After extensive repairs, it reopened in August 2013. Some wineries, especially those near the epicenter along State Route 46, reported damage such as barrels toppling and bursting. The Mission San Miguel Arcángel had $15 million worth of damage. The earthquake also caused extensive damage to George H. Flamson Middle School. The main building was damaged and had to be demolished in 2004. A new building reflecting the original 1924 building was opened for use in August 2010. In Templeton, Bethel Lutheran Church (ELCA), sustained major damage to its 110+ year old building and the apse had to be rebuilt. Aftermath Following the event, California enacted A.B. 2533, amending the California Business and Professions Code § 8875.8, requiring that certain unreinforced masonry buildings that have not been seismically retrofitted have posted notice of the potential earthquake hazard.California A.B. 2533, chaptered version, Sept. 21, 2004.California A.B. 2533, Analysis, August 2421, 2004. The law was called Jenna's Bill, after Jennifer Myrick, who died in the quake.http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050130/news_mz1c30jenna.html Hitting a brick wall: Parents turn grief into action, but 'Jenna's Bill' to post quake risk has yet to take hold Wilkens John San Diego Tribune 2005-01-30 2010-06-29 2012-03-28 https://web.archive.org/web/20120328170010/http://legacy.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20050130/news_mz1c30jenna.html dead Faulting The area where the quake struck displays a complex faulting geometry, between the active Oceanic Fault and the older Nacimiento Fault, along with possible interaction from the Hosgri and San Simeon segments of the mainly offshore San Gregorio-San Simeon-Hosgri fault zone.Complex Faulting Associated with the 22 December 2003 Mw 6.5 San Simeon, California, Earthquake, Aftershocks, and Postseismic Surface Deformation http://www.bssaonline.org/content/98/4/1659.abstract https://archive.today/20120720124751/http://www.bssaonline.org/content/98/4/1659.abstract dead July 20, 2012 M. K. McLaren J. L. Hardebeck Jeanne L. Hardebeck N. van der Elst J. R. Unruh G. W. Bawden J. Luke Blair 2008 Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 98 4 1659–1680 10.1785/0120070088 2008BuSSA..98.1659M subscription See also California List of earthquakes in 2003 List of earthquakes in California List of earthquakes in the United States Notes ISC-GEM Global Instrumental Earthquake Catalogue (1900–2009) http://www.isc.ac.uk/iscgem/index.php ISC 2014 International Seismological Centre Version 1.05 PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog https://earthquake.usgs.gov/static/lfs/data/pager/catalogs/ https://web.archive.org/web/20200313112456/ftp://hazards.cr.usgs.gov/web/data/pager/catalogs/ dead 2020-03-13 September 4, 2009 United States Geological Survey Version 2008_06.1 San Simeon Earthquake of December 22, 2003 2004 American Society of Civil Engineers 978-0784407479 https://books.google.com/books?id=8wMYns5Wt60C&pg=PA1 Mark Yashinsky Sources 2003 San Simeon Earthquake: Preliminary Earthquake Analysis – California Integrated Seismic Network Preliminary Observations on the December 22, 2003, San Simeon Earthquake – Earthquake Engineering Research Institute M6.6 – Central California – United States Geological Survey External links 2003 San Simeon earthquake San Simeon, California – Earthquake Engineering Research Institute 7215050 2003 Category:2003 earthquakes Category:History of San Luis Obispo County, California Category:2003 in California Category:2003 natural disasters in the United States Category:Paso Robles, California Category:Buried rupture earthquakes Category:December 2003 in the United States