On April 18, 1906, a rupture of the San Andreas Fault was felt from southern Oregon to south of Los Angeles. Measuring 8.25 on the Richter scale, the tremor killed an estimated 3,000 people and caused $500 million in damages (about $10 billion in today's dollars).
This still ranks as one of the worst natural disasters in United States history, and was a watershed event for the insurance industry. It also served as an early lesson in the area of industry reputation.
Similar to the wind-versus-water controversy that followed Hurricane Katrina, the earthquake-versus-fire question raged following the catastrophe.
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