Earthquake
The Northridge Earthquake, 1994
Estimated Total Cost: $40 billion
A 6.7 magnitude earthquake struck Northridge, CA, a Los Angeles neighborhood at 4:31 a.m. on January 17, lasting for 10 to 20 seconds and resulting in 57 deaths, more than 5,000 injuries and damaging some 100,000 houses and businesses. President Clinton declared it a federal disaster, deploying hundreds of federal workers and spending millions to help the area recover.