Quake City '87 - A Forgotten Tale of Whittier

On October 1, 1987 at 7:42am, a 5.9 earthquake shook the small town of Whittier. Nerves were rattled, buildings collapsed, and families lost their homes. Today, Whittier has moved on, but the town still bares the scars from this defining moment in the city's history. This video contains first hand accounts of some of the people who lived through this horrible day.

[@Acbrow13]

I was 4 and we lived a few miles away from Uptown Whittier. As terrifying as it was, I think this is what set off my fascination with geology and wanting to know more about earthquakes.

[@mr.o9200]

Alicia Pearce sup girl 😉

[@michaelgreen4183]

Same here, Alicia. I will take an earthquake any day over a tornado, hurricane or blizzard.

[@CallSignJammer]

Same here, we lived by Pioneer High and we moved into that house the day before. Took mom a long time to get over that one.

[@celesteonthetube]

Thank you so much for this video!! I was telling my experience with my children (we live in San Diego now) and since they’ve never experienced a large earthquake, they didn’t realize how scary they can be until they saw videos like this. I was six years old and home sick from school. My mom and I went to the doorway of a bathroom. I can still see the two glass hanging lantern type lights swaying back and forth. I was terrified but when my mom started praying in a cracked voice “Oh, please God, please make it stop. Please God, please make it stop…( she kept repeating this)”, that’s when I remember losing it and started crying hysterically. Our home was okay, so watching this video now that I’m a mom myself is humbling and gave me a new appreciation for what the city of Whittier actually endured. Thank you again!

[@salravioli]

Just saw this. Amazing to see this!

[@patrickfreeman4843]

Thanks for not having the music too loud. Having lived most of my life in Whittier I really appreciated this episode.

[@donaldduncan7095]

I was living Uptown in one of the many Dingbats style apartment buildings in Whittier. I was working a nightshift job, so I was still in bed just waking up when I heard 3 large loud bangs (that was the fault breaking) then all hell broke loose in a very loud violent rapid jerking (like a giant jackhammer). All the plaster walls cracked, and my bathroom water pipe broke, luckily, I was still able to live there after the clean-up. To this day I still place my shoes & clothes near my bed in case I have to make a quick exit, being prepared is a good lesson, but nothing can prepare you for the terror when your unlucky enough to be near the epicenter. Whittier is a unique hilly town with small town charm where many of the scenes of Back to the Future were filmed, which I was lucky enough to watch one night.

[@discod]

Really well done! I lived right there off of Painter earlier, 76-78 as a little kid, but I recognized so much from the footage.

[@jonmacdonald5345]

Whittier got rocked like a Truck stop lot lizard on a Saturday night! I will always remember that quake!

[@maryan6224]

I'll never forget that day. I was standing still in the kitchen and felt the ground drop before the shaking. I knew immediately that it was an earthquake. My 3 year old was traumatized for months. Thanks for the video.

[@rerolley]

I grew up in Whittier and my parents were still there in 1987. Fortunately our house was not damaged as we were on the far east side of the city. But that earthquake was the stimulus that caused my parents to decide it was time to sell and move back to the Midwest. We were regular customers of Monte's Camera shop. Thanks for putting this story together.

[@namewithheldnamewithheld2725]

I was 13 years old,I lived in Rowland heights California and I attended averodo intermediate jr high school.It was 7:42am when the quake struck October 1st 1987.

[@geezmikey]

you need more videos!! i cant stop re watching a lot of these videos. i shared them all with family and friends.

[@MrMJMTech]

I remember when the earthquake happened. I was just a little kid. Was going to school and then school got canceled. That was so much damage from that point on I was always afraid of earthquakes. Being so young it really scared me because I’ve never seen anything like that before. Such a nice video to see all the memories when I was a little kid.

[@xzysyndrome]

I remember this Earthquake. I was in Norwalk, CA. It seemed so big at the time....I didn't sleep for days. I was 12 years old.

[@WillieGreydog]

Was working for the city that morning at the city yard on Hadley near Whittier Blvd. Barely avoided being buried in an avalanche of tools, supplies and equipment stored in vertical racks near me and my co-workers. So many anecdotes I could share of the days and months that followed. Recognize many of the people in this video

[@LTTang]

Good work. I hope city hall put his in their archive vault. It’s a part of the city’s history to share with future generations.

[@timminear2675]

This is so great. I remember driving from my apartment in Silverlake that morning to do my laundry at my parents' house -- and my dad, on the corner of Painter and Broadway -- was taking down what was left of his brick chimney on the top of his house. I'd of course felt the quake in Silverlake but had no idea it was centered in my hometown. They had to lift the whole house up on stilts for months and redo the foundation. Great seeing Mr. Moore in this, too. He was my sixth grade teacher and hands down the best and most impactful teacher I ever had. Probably didn't need another one after him.

[@michaelgreen4183]

I loved living in Whittier and miss it still. At the time of the earthquake, I lived north of Michigan Park and was getting ready to leave for work. Fortunately, I was running about five minutes behind. Had I walked out the front door to go to the garage at the moment it struck, I would have been struck by bricks from the falling chimney. What a terrifying experience it was. The phone was out, no electricity and the water heater had broken loose and flooded the hallway before I could get the water turned off. I will never forget that day. To see heavy very drawers in the linen closet open and slam closed again several times like they were made of balsa wood was a sure mark of the power under my feet.

[@beachkatz9639]

I grew up on Santa Gertrude’s across from the Whittwood outdoor mall. Went to Murphy Ranch, LaSerna High School. Love Love Love Whittier.

[@kutulukutu]

Great vid. I remember where I was. Day care at school, before class. The teacher was on the phone with someone that was actually in Whittier, and I'll never forget hearing her ask "What earthquake?" and then, bam. Shook Orange County, pretty well. There's still a sign on a building that was bent in that quake ... Maybe on Garden Grove Blvd? Still there and still bent 😂

[@markhernandez8361]

Yeah my aunt that lived near the Bowers musem in Santa Ana Ca, said she felt it, it opened up cupboards, and Santa Ana is pretty far from Whittier.

[@Spazmodik13]

Aww Mr. Moore! I remember him as my principal. I lived in Whittier and was on my way to Dexter Intermediate when the earthquake hit. I just started running, ran down some stairs and it turns out I ran down stairs that were over a gas line. Yipe! I miss Whittier!

[@libraS.A.]

I appreciate the history retell from the residents of Whittier.. It's my intro to your channel...I'll have to continue viewing I suppose. 😉Great work sir !

[@Leesaloves]

Thank you. We lived across the street from my husband's parents, on Friends Ave at the time.

[@marcoshernandez1833]

I believe that this earthquake was not just felt in Whittier but in many far places, my aunt in Santa Ana, Ca felt it as a rolling motion, and that was all the way in central orange county. The Chino champion also has a story about how it felt all the way over in the I.E, I remember that a statue in Cypress cracked and broke at forest lawn mortuary, so it was wide spread.

[@backtoback4452]

yes it was felt in pasadena, where i lived. and yes it felt like a rolling motion to me too. scared the daylights out of me - first i had ever experienced.

[@Dreamkushh]

My family friends lived in Friendly Hills in a huge mansion and their house walls and floor cracked completely in half down to the ground. This earthquake was talked about forever because of how much it destroyed

[@stephaniecarmichael5941]

I grew up on La Lindura Dr

[@Victor1930]

Very well done. Thank you so much for putting this together!

[@vellbariaofficial]

Whittier, my dragon heart! The oldest and most historical of all Californian cities.

[@cloudfurr1]

I was 17 and living in La Puente and staying at a friends house. I was taking a shower and heard the pipes shaking and I thought to myself “man this house is old “ Then I heard my friend yelling at her brothers to take cover , earthquake. I saw the water in toilet swishing back and forth and spilling over. That was the fastest shower I have taken in my life. We ditched school that day.

[@louisemurray9331]

Enjoying Your Documentries very much here in Northern Ireland! Very interesting and informative! Thankyou !

[@mxxnshine1]

Fantastic! Great job!! I lived in SFS at the time. I was in the 4th grade. Grew up in the uptown area and now own a business up here. Cheers on a job well, done.

[@cynthiaslusher5212]

I was in uptown Whittier when this hit. I was 18 yo. Mostly, homes lost their brick fire places or homes were pushed off their foundations. It was really creepy.

[@spokev]

My mom owned Village Needlecraft on Philadelphia (moved there from up on Greenleaf across from Winchells). Got one of the first trailers.

[@cynergy4]

I was living in Monrovia at the time, and it was VERY strongly felt there. Living in Whittier now

[@pamelapompey364]

We were on the road on our way to school, not home at the time, and did not realize that was what it was until the radio mentioned it, and we drove by businesses with broken windows, we turned around and came back home when we found out what it was, we lived up town at the time, just past Painter and Mar Vista, my Dad was still home, he was picking up things that had fallen over..

[@deantait8326]

I'd just moved 2 weeks earlier, from West Hills, CA to Texas. "Let's Take a Trip Down Whittier Blvd"

[@georgemusic4all4seasons]

Excellent show and thanks for posting.

[@thenightscythe2030]

Been so long since I've Watched many of these. The Quality is Amazing!

[@PupsgotThis]

I remember this. I was at school at Giano Middle. We lived in Whittier with my Tia. The damage was scary

[@dburch7894]

Grew up in Montebello and lived in Uptown Whittier about 1980 to 84 on Pickering. Around 83 the city started changing. Wow, The Quad! Hadn’t thought of that in a minute!

[@walldoo99]

I was 3 miles from the epicenter and it was bouncing up and down instead of the normal roll. I reacted in a typical calif native way. I pulled the sheet back over my head so the ceiling wouldn't get in my eyes and went back to sleep. I don't know why these fools ran outside. They teach us in school that is the worst place to be. I saw a lot of those busted chimney's, but I had mounted an antenna to ours with 2" straps and guide wires to brace it so it was cracked a little and a few loose bricks.

[@markmartinez5463]

I was working at PIH in the physical therapy dept. therapy pool. I had one pt. in the pool as the earthquake started to create waves in the pool. He looked at me wondering what to do , I proceeded to grab him by the torso and dragged him across the wet floor and under a doorway. When the shaking stopped I accompanied him into the dressing room where I noticed the water had shaken right out of the toilets.There was plenty of internal damage and the P.T. staff went int triage mode as a secondary E.R. our day finally ended about 1 pm.

[@jonmacdonald5345]

Mark Martinez Fuck yeah big bad mark saved the day! sounds like you handled that like a boss pimpin! well done

[@kennethelaeson-house3471]

I was eating breakfast across the street from a strip mall where we were building a new Circle K Liquor store. The ground was rolling, the power lines were arcing together and afterwords KRTH KEarth 101 was playing quake music,like I'm in love, I'm all shook up. I feel the Earth Move under my feet., people were calling in with what they had experienced... It's great to find this video! I know one other person who I met later on was in the same Quake. Her name was Linda. I wish she would read this and contact me.

[@user-hw7ek4kx3b]

I was in San Diego when the Earthquake started there was a loud roar along with a the earth rising up and falling a few times. Every alarm from cars to home alarms went off.

[@zexnynex777]

thats a good looking little town you folks have.

[@hyphenlife]

Zachary Magpul just moves here and I love it. Rough commutes though

[@angelitamoraga6233]

Was getting ready for school. La Serna H.S. in Friendly Hills. Fellt like a truck going by then the ground started move. I ran to get a baby we were babysitting. My feet fell in the holes in the ground. Then we saw waves on the floor moving in the living room. It lifted one part of our house's foundation so it was off kilter until the after shock put it back in place. 😅

[@joekidd1103]

I worked for American Medical Enterprises (AME Ambulance/Medical Equipment) at that time. It was a very busy day for us to say the least.

[@MeLlamoChris]

My family moved from a house on Comstock & Walnut in Uptown Whittier the night before the earthquake to an apartment in Roland Heights. I remember waking up on the floor that morning because I hadn’t put my bed together yet and the building we were in was swaying and rolling back and forth. It was like being on a cruise during a bad storm.

[@josephbullock3052]

I vividly remember the earthquake of 1987. I had been living in east Whittier for a ,little more than two years. At the time of the earthquake I was working for Northrop Electronics in El Segundo. I had gone to the restroom and was sitting on the toilet when it hit. There was dust falling from the ceiling and water splashing up from below. All I could think of was "God, Please I don't want to die here with my pants down around my ankles."My home in east Whittier had no damage but the grandfather clock stopped. An interesting phenomena was observed after the earthquake: The further you were from Whittier, the perceived damaged was greater. My family on the east coast thought Whittier had been completely leveled. Friends in Europe Whittier was a smoldering pile of rubble with thousands dead. I knew Wilson Turner who owned and lived in the building where the wall fell off. Everyone called Wilson Turner "W". He was a very intelligent man on many subjects. W rebuilt his home and rental units but lost the building during the recession of 91-92. He died in the mid 90s of cancer. I miss my brilliant friend.

[@willrueb9573]

You channel is epic. The story of the undercover officer Mike Lane is some of the best crime documentary work I've ever seen.

[@Amy-zb6ph]

I think that was the second earthquake I felt in my life. It didn't seem that big here but it's pretty far away. That's when my parents made an earthquake kit. Now, there are several earthquake kits in this house and we have never had to use them, even though the earthquakes that have come through have been pretty big.

[@johnworrall3646]

Great video sir 👍

[@paultolmas4723]

Another great video from the folks at Forgotten Tales. I remember exactly where and what I was doing when it hit. Thanks for posting it.

[@native_int]

I feel at home when Im in Uptown.

[@hyphenlife]

Marina Stephanie it’s a beautiful area.

[@coreymacgregor176]

It was my first earthquake and I lived in Sylmar. I remember it very well even though I was eight

[@EM-sx6jn]

The only person who died in that quake was a girl going to Cal. State, L.A. She was parked in a popular multi-level parking lot, and when the quake hit, she ran out of the parking structure. Just as she exited the structure a huge, heavy concrete block (that formed part of a wall or fence for the parking level above) fell on her and killed her. The block probably weighed a ton. It was huge. I never knew her, but I always felt extremely sad about her. I often parked in the same lot. I was a student there that year. I always wanted to lay down some flowers on the spot she died, but full-time school and full-time work never gave me the time to do so. Now I live outside of California so I will probably never get a chance to do it. I also wondered at the time, how any engineer could design something that vulnerable to catastrophe. Or was it bad construction? I don't know if we will ever know. Part of the reason I left LA is to get away from quakes. I will never move back to California.

[@TheAstroCreep]

I was walking out the door heading to Franklin Elementary School next to Guirado Park. I remember hearing the gates swing and watching the cars rock back and forth. I was in kindergarten or 1st grade. How crazy to think how long ago this was. I remember riding with my Dad around Uptown Whittier and seeing houses off their foundations.

[@meowmix1384]

I was living in Sierra Madre. I was 10 years old and was getting ready for school with my pet rat on my shoulder. This quake scared the crap out of me. I've been fascinated by earthquakes ever since and terrified of the "Big One".

[@fivelights907]

I lived in Bellflower CA, we had just moved from another state. This my first earthquake, I was 7. Our back wall fell over, peoples homes where damaged, our local grocery store had a fire.

[@Kreemerz]

What an excellent documentary! Glad I came across this!! I lived in the SF Bay area and remember the news coverage. CNN (when it was a reputable news outlet) covered the story. Thank you for uploading this

[@jctopgun]

Odd no picture nor video of the May Company parking lot collapse!

[@susancooper1830]

My father worked in the building where that empty lot is, he barely got out

[@AuntyKarena]

I had a newborn and was at my parents my house in the South bay. My apartment near Whittier had dishes out of the cabinets and other broken furniture. I’m glad I was at my parents. We felt it there but no damage.

[@ambergreenwald879]

I lived by Colima in South Whittier and was on the bus stop for elementary school with a guy named Josh. We held on to the stop 🛑 sign and it was literally bending like it was rubber! I let go to go check on my grandma and got flung into the middle of the road!

[@sylvialupehernandez9154]

I was worried about my nephew worked at the Sears store in Buena park,Mall, he said to me that many of the TV and appliance racks cracked, and fell in pieces. He said there was just stuff that flow off the shelf.

[@cchico41]

i remember being in a bath at a young age when this happened and the water was bouncing from right to left. it was scary

[@losnative1122]

Thanks for all the videos

[@martybuchanan9553]

I was on my way to work at the corner of Philadelphia & Pickering when this happened. We lost our chimney but the house was OK

[@howardmedina2997]

Love this Channel

[@xanderminjares8511]

Hooooow in the heck could you be in Valinda and see a trailer shake violently and yet not feel it???? I was just 7 in La Puente at the time and felt it very strong and noisy... anyway.... great vid!

[@forgottensocal]

I don't know. I wish I had an answer for you. My friend and I both stood there watching that trailer rock back and forth and heard screaming... we honestly thought people were having sex in the trailer... I mean, we were in 7th grade. That's just where our heads went.

[@tacticnick2502]

I remember getting told by my parents that when they were my age this earthquake happened and it destroyed their home

[@stephaniecarmichael5941]

I was 21 and working uptown, getting ready for work when bamm tossed across the bathroom.. I went into work was sent home ended the night at a Whittier college earthquake kegger party right across the street from the Rock.

[@forgottensocal]

Ok, this is a great story. Was the party still going on during the 4am aftershock?

[@haroldtaylor5425]

Excellent documentary - good job!

[@vellbariaofficial]

Whittier, the true Lion city and the most friendly and elegant towne in California!

[@jeffmcentire3779]

I remember the quake very well. There was major damage to the homes of some friends, minor damage to others. At first, I thought the San Andreas fault had ripped. My father in law's barber shop window broke, actually shattered I think. That was a very scary morning.

[@garylagstrom3864]

I wonder if Joe Vinatieri is related to Hall of Fame kicker Adam Vinatieri of the New England Patriots and Indianapolis Colts football 🏈 teams?

[@massey4business]

I believe the actual fault is underneath Whittier Narrows or Legg Lake.

[@diaryofagrievernamedjohnwe1433]

Haven't forgotten Whittier shaker.

[@doreenaortega1892]

Omg , Mr moore ! I remember he use to chew on a pencil when he was pissed 😂

[@StationRussification]

I was working under a vehicle that was raised on a lift (@ a Dealership on Van Nuys Bl.) & heard screaming to get out ... Saw all the Street & Parking Lamp Poles sway, the ground shook > but nothing like the Northridge Quake was in the same exact area< , '71 shaker woke me, I was 9 & in the Hills above Studio City where Radford Canyon transverse into Laurel Canyon

[@jmf3353]

I was waiting for school to start at Downey high and we felt it pretty good.

[@marcoshernandez1833]

I remember this quake was felt far and wide, just like the Northridge quake of 94. Some people in San Diego said they had felt it at the time.

[@axjmd]

I won't forget this earthquake. I was living in North Hollywood and I remember finishing washing our family's breakfast dishes when it struck. I even remembered what I ate for breakfast that morning it was pancakes. After I determined not to eat anymore pancakes that it brought in the quake(Yes I was rediculous) . Yes even though it was a fall day, it was a very hot day. I did not feel the aftershock the following Sunday morning I was accompanying my sister at Olive View Medical Center in Sylmar and walking through their hallway.

[@rath748]

Love this channel

[@720069mf]

I felt this quake @ 60 miles north - my garage doors were moving .

[@user-vb6ri1bz6k]

I was there myself I think I was 6yrs old in Pico Rivera CA were the epicenter was literally around me.

[@oldstyleanalog6459]

I was in high school.Me and my friend were on his motorcycle.It was freaking crazy being on 2 wheels while the earth shook.Then we got close to school and people ran out crying.We didn't know what the he'll was going on.Once we got to school every one on the field then I felt it.The ground was popin like a robot

[@mlbolts72]

I was in the whittier high library when it happened 😬😑😪

[@paulcastillo1310]

I was at school at whitter high school when Earthquake hit that morning.

[@nayadedecumbe7407]

yep, I was stopped at a red light when it started to shake. We had 110 degrees heat in Pasadena on that day. I remember the light poles moving and touching the ground. Scary all right.

[@skiking226USA]

Originally this was called the Whittier Narrows earthquake centered under Temple City

[@tonycarmona7967]

i was playing hand ball on a drive way up against a garage door before going to school we live by the 605 & slauson ave we thought a big rig crashed

[@DucatiPaso750]

I live in that general area as well. Slauson and Rosemead.

[@honestmike9679]

Amazing footage! Favorite part starts at 30:15 The crushed car interview dude is straight cherry \m/ Honest²

[@mend555]

I was 9 years old in Maywood during this quake. We were at school playing kickball early morning . I was about to kick when I felt the ground lift under me. It freaked all us kids out.

[@Pureignition58]

11:42 Best burritos, best chilli Fries, best hamburgers and always professional courtesy. If i could only eat there on more time before i die. The only place that came close was the Miracle Mile in downtown Phoenix, Az.

[@jonmacdonald5345]

The food there sucks it always gives the hot poops!

[@raymondfrankwick6965]

'A'...'A'...'A'... horizontal after a morning of Parkinson's home-care... like no napping this early...

[@snakefinger]

I wish that mustang was still there.

[@celesteonthetube]

Right?! A tragedy. 😢

[@latashaharvin618]

The actress that played Jennifer on Family Ties is from Whittier I wonder if she was there during that earthquake.

[@rutherfordclan5693]

That's what happened to me the i lived across street from Cal high school, outside waiting for my ride to school and the tree in my yard started to shake really hard I hadn't felt anything until after shaking of the tree things were moving before the ground did... weird eq...i was Petrified. It was my very 1st eq at 7yrs old. It knocked me on my ass it was that violent I couldn't walk straight

[@massey4business]

I remember being in the cafeteria at Baker Jr. High in El Monte having breakfast when the shaking started. The kids that were my neighbors and I walked home right after. It wasn't the first earthquake I felt but it was the first one that I remember feeling. I was a nervous mess the next few days. Especially 3 days later on Sunday morning there was an aftershock early in the morning that REALLY scared me! I've since have gotten used to quakes but I still get a bit of that feeling and think: "is this gonna be the BIG ONE?!"

[@haveaniceday5693]

That was not an aftershock the ground shook again just as hard

[@Lyndanet]

You are so full of it

[@bobbyleglocks1992]

I'm in slc visiting my sister, and we had an earthquake this morning. 5.7. She is younger than me and wasn't alive when this hit. I was 7 at a bus stop waiting for the bus. That seemed like a big one to me. All the car wrecks. Maybe just because I was young?

[@latashaharvin618]

My brother's 3rd birthday was May 16, 1987.

[@cynthiaslusher5212]

Anyone remember Dead Man's park? Uptown Whittier