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Loma Prieta earthquake

The magnitude 6.9 earthquake of October 17, 1989, centered in the Santa Cruz Mountains, which badly damaged downtown Los Gatos and closed Highway 17 for weeks.

Shaking in Los Gatos reached intensity VIII. A number of brick buildings downtown were destroyed or seriously damaged; on the Bogart Block on Santa Cruz Avenue the second story came loose from the first and was later reattached.

Landslides closed more than half of Highway 17 between Scotts Valley and Los Gatos for one to two months. Downtown was quickly rebuilt.

Sources

Questions people ask

When was the Loma Prieta earthquake?

October 17, 1989, during the World Series broadcast.

How did it affect Los Gatos?

It destroyed or badly damaged several downtown brick buildings, and landslides closed Highway 17 over the mountains.

Related terms

  • Downtown Commercial Historic DistrictThe cluster of 1890s-1930s commercial buildings along West Main Street, North Santa Cruz Avenue and University Avenue, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1991.
  • Highway 17The winding mountain highway between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz, which runs through the middle of town; the stretch over the mountains is a designated safety corridor.
  • Santa Cruz AvenueThe main shopping street of downtown Los Gatos, running north from Main Street; it became the business center after the 1901 fire on Main Street.

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