6 Biggest Cities on the San Andreas Fault Line

In case of a major earthquake, these 6 biggest cities on the San Andreas Fault Line hold the biggest potential for human casualties.

San Andreas is among the biggest fault lines in the world. Its correct name is San Andreas Fault System and it stretches for some 1,300 kilometers. It starts near the Salton Sea and ends Mendocino coast. The system consists of three parts, Northern, Central, and Southern. Part of the Southern fault zone is San Jacinto Fault, considered a branch of the main fault line.  Due to its position cutting California from the north to the south and passing through some of the most heavily populated and developed parts on the planet, it has the most destructive potential of all fault lines.

If a major earthquake hits, these 6 biggest cities on the San Andreas Fault line won’t be the only ones to feel it. Depending on the location of the quake, every city in the area will suffer major destruction. Even if direct damage is avoided, the consequences will be disastrous. For instance, 70% of Southern California’s water supply comes from the areas north of San Andreas Fault Line. Supplying drinking water alone to more than 20 million people will be a logistical nightmare, not to mention food, medicine, and other emergency supplies.

Unfortunately, the San Andreas Fault Line isn’t the only fault that threatens California. Newport-Inglewood Fault Zone has a potential of completely destroying Los Angeles area. The last time it was activated was in 1933, causing the Long Beach earthquake, the second deadliest earthquake in California. The death toll was only surpassed by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. The second biggest city in the Golden State, San Diego, is in danger from several faults that pass nearby, like Elsinore Fault. Even though the mountains would serve as a shield, the consequences would be devastating.

Neither Sand Diego nor Los Angeles is on our list, though. In this article, we focus on the biggest cities on the Sand Andreas Fault Line and neither of those two are located on it. The cities on the list are ranked according to their population, taken from the United States Census Bureau estimates for 2014. The population seems like an appropriate metrics for this list, as it illustrates how many people are in danger when the big one strikes.

6. Palmdale

Population: 158,279

Located in Antelope Valley, Palmdale sits right on top of San Andreas Fault Line. One of the centers of the US aerospace industry could face utter destruction in case of a major earthquake in the area. Thousands of Palmdale residents who work in Los Angeles would be cut off from their families and homes. Several important regional railways running through Palmdale would be severed. More importantly, California Aqueduct that supplies a large portion of Los Angeles basin with water could also be cut.  Good news for citizens of Palmdale is that city building code has been very strict in applying measures designed to prevent extensive earthquake damage. This means that many houses should survive the disaster.

5. Moreno Valley

Population: 202,976

Just like the other cities in Inland Empire, Moreno Valley’s proximity to San Andreas Fault System could prove extremely dangerous in case of a big earthquake. San Jacinto Fault Line, a San Andreas Fault branch, passes beneath city’s Western suburbs, with maximum possible earthquake predicted at 7.2 magnitude. The fact that Sam Andreas main branch is just 15 miles away and Elsinore Fault Line mere 12 doesn’t help residents of Moreno Valley sleep better at night.

4. San Bernardino

Population: 215,213

Located above the main branch of San Andreas Fault line, San Andreas is another Inland Empire’s city in danger in case of an earthquake originating along the fault line. San Bernardino is rich with water, a rare thing in drought-stricken California. However, in case of an earthquake, this can pose a significant risk of soil liquefaction, which would greatly enhance damage caused by the disaster. The Christchurch Earthquake in 2011 is a recent reminder of how dangerous this phenomenon could be.

3. Riverside

Population: 319,504

Riverside is the biggest city on San Andreas Fault Line in Southern California. The main branch of San Andreas Fault Line is located just 11 miles from downtown Riverside, but San Jacinto and Elsinore faults aren’t much further.

2. San Francisco

Population: 852,469

San Francisco has already felt what it looks like being on the receiving end of Mother Nature’s rage. The 1906 earthquake is one of the most devastating natural disasters in the United States history. The fire that followed was even more destructive than the earthquake itself. But San Andreas Fault isn’t the only fault line threatening San Francisco. There are 6 other fault lines running beneath the Bay Area.

1. San Jose

Population: 1,015,785

The biggest city on San Andreas Fault Line and the one with the highest probability of human casualties in case of the Next Big One is San Hose. While the experts predict that the Northern Fault Zone may not be in imminent danger, living on top of one of the biggest fault lines in the world can’t be too comforting.