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Dealing with Disaster: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906

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  • Strupp, Christoph

Abstract

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 remains one of the biggest urban disasters in American history. This paper gives a comprehensive overview of how the city coped with the immediate consequences of the catastrophe and quickly rebuilt. It analyzes the tense political situation of San Francisco in 1906, the role of the economic elite during and after the disaster, insurance aspects, social consequences of the process of rebuilding, and, finally, the treatment of the earthquake in the media and by contemporary geologists. I argue that the rebound of San Francisco was contingent on a unique combination of factors that ensured its success. However, San Francisco has limited value as a role model for other cities in a disaster situation. The downplay of the geological danger in the interest of economic benefits stood in the way of an adequate preparation for future earthquakes and hampered attempts to educate the general public. Keywords: San Francisco; Urban History; Earthquake; Natural Disasters

Suggested Citation

  • Strupp, Christoph, 2006. "Dealing with Disaster: The San Francisco Earthquake of 1906," Institute of European Studies, Working Paper Series qt9gd2v192, Institute of European Studies, UC Berkeley.
    • Handle: RePEc:cdl:bineur:qt9gd2v192
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Emily C. Schaeffer & Andrew Kashdan, 2010. "Earth, Wind, and Fire! Federalism and Incentive in Natural Disaster Response," Chapters, in: Emily Chamlee-Wright & Virgil Henry Storr (ed.), The Political Economy of Hurricane Katrina and Community Rebound, chapter 10, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    2. Douglas Coate, 2010. "Disaster and Recovery: The Public and Private Sectors in the Aftermath of the 1906 Earthquake in San Francisco," Working Papers Rutgers University, Newark 2010-004, Department of Economics, Rutgers University, Newark.
    3. Michael Hooper, 2015. "Will the City Rise Again? The Contested Geography of Housing Reconstruction in Post-Disaster Haiti," Housing Studies, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 30(7), pages 1016-1035, October.

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