Natural Disasters

North Bay Grass Fires Are Trying to Ruin San Francisco's Amazingly Sunny Day

San Francisco doesn't get to enjoy too many days of sun and warmth, which is why we like to bask in those two or three days a year. Sadly, the North Bay had to blemish this beautiful morning. Some folks in San Francisco reported seeing nasty smoke casting a pall over the city, which firefighters t ... More >>

Study: 3.5 Million People Will Die From Earthquakes This Century

Here in San Francisco, we live under the constant threat of a catastrophic earthquake. It's a subconscious worry, perhaps only creeping to the front of our minds as we drive over the Bay Bridge or step out of the shower (would you grab a pair of shorts before bolting for the nearest doorway?). We ... More >>

New to You

Disaster Recovery Fund Nets Whole $136 From San Francisco Residents

San Francisco and its residents can be accused of valuing good intentions over good results. Well, if ever there's a disaster in our fair city, let's hope the recovery can be funded with good intentions. Because locals haven't been interested in donating actual money to the city's Disaster Recovery ... More >>

Party in Our Past

Dig Into Ancient Culture

1906 Earthquake: Three Survivors -- Ages 106-108 -- to Lead Commemoration Events Today

It wold be hard for San Francisco to forget the tragic day on April 18, 1906 when a catastrophic earthquake rocked city dwellers right out of bed at 5:12 a.m. It was a tragedy that left 3,000 dead, more than 200,000 homeless, and much of city's structures reduced to rubble. Luckily, we still have th ... More >>

Town of Bedrock

Another Earthquake Rocks the East Bay

That's kinda what it felt like ​It's been a tough week to try and get some sleep in Oakland -- amid the downtown protests, tear gas, helicopters circling, and earthquakes.A 3.6 quake rattle the East Bay at about 5:36 a.m., causing buildings to sway and bringing public transit to a screeching halt. ... More >>

Twin Earthquakes Shake the Bay Area, Is the "Big One" Next?

You thought yesterday's quakes were scary ... ​Two nearly identical quakes along the Hayward fault jolted the Bay Area yesterday, which naturally has everyone thinking, "Is this foreshadowing the Big One?"A 3.9 magnitude earthquake shook the East Bay at about 2:41 p.m. yesterday. No damages were r ... More >>

Stanford Wants to Install an Earthquake Sensor on Your Computer

My sensor saw it coming. ​The bad news: The Big One is coming. The good news: At least you can measure it.  Geophysicists are looking for "citizen seismologists" in the Bay Area to install a tiny earthquake sensor in their home, classroom, or office this weekend as part of building the denses ... More >>

Earthquake! S.F. Shaken By 3.8 Temblor on Anniversary of Big One

View Larger Map No, those vibrations weren't everyone running out of the office simultaneously to hit up the food truck. The United States Geological Survey confirmed to SF Weekly that we were moments ago hit with a temblor. And, yes, today is the 105th anniversary of The Big One. The hard-working ... More >>

Earthquake Hits Japan Again, No Tsunami Warning for S.F.

Another tsunami warning in Japan​Sadly, Japan was shaken again by another earthquake Thursday night, and is now under the threat of a tsunami, a month after it was devastated by an 9.0 earthquake and a tsunami that killed more than 25,000 people. Buildings as far away as Tokyo reportedly shook for ... More >>

Today: Order the Quail at Nombe, Help Japan's Quake Relief

Angela W./YelpNombe's chicken wings, a previous donation vehicle.​Another restaurant raising money for Japan quake relief: Nombe. Actually, Nombe started collecting donations last Saturday, day after the first full day of news about the tragedy broke over CNN. Co-owner Mari Takahashi says the ... More >>

Ebisu/Hotei Donating Part of This Week's Proceeds to Japan Quake Relief

Ebisu​Another S.F. restaurant is stepping up for Japanese disaster relief. From a message on Ebisu's website: All of us are saddened and concerned to have learned about the destruction of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake which has devastated areas of Japan. Many of us and our staff have family and ... More >>

Tsunami Relief: Here Is How to Help

Help!​Images of the earthquake that devastated eastern Japan on Friday still haunt us; the death toll is rising by the day, and threats of a nuclear meltdown lingers.  Naturally, San Franciscans are flooding organizations with phone calls, curious about where and how they can help victims in ... More >>

Tonight: 2G Japanese Brasserie Giving 10 Percent of Proceeds to Earthquake Relief

​Not long after posting about ICHI Sushi donating part of its proceeds for Japanese earthquake relief, SFoodie got a message from Royce Tsuji at 2G Japanese Brasserie in Opera Plaza. Tsuji says they'll donating 10 percent of tonight's proceeds to the Japanese Cultural and Community Center of N ... More >>

Do You Need to Know About Every Last 2.0 Quake?

Now that's an earthquake! ​The search for content in today's media market is constant. So, it would seem, are the number of minor earthquakes rattling the Bay Area. Like chocolate and peanut butter, the marriage of online journalists desperately in need of material and neverending reports of piddl ... More >>

Earthquake Fails to Level L.A. -- Man Now Claims It'll Happen Today

There's a 100 percent chance San Francisco will be hit by a quake -- in 1906​The proprietor of a pseudoscientific quake prediction website who claimed a 98 percent chance Los Angeles would be hit with a 7.0 magnitude quake yesterday -- which didn't happen -- is now pledging a 97 percent chance it' ... More >>

Will Bizarre Quake Prediction Come True?

Our past ... and future?​A self-anointed earthquake predicter's bizarre claim that Los Angeles would be rattled by a 6.0 to 7.0 temblor today has nine-odd hours to come true. At the strike of midnight, Luke Thomas of QuakePredictions.com will either become an object of reverence or revulsion. The ... More >>

Frantic Tweets About 7.0 Earthquake -- Tomorrow

​A much-retweeted "warning" of a 7.0 earthquake that will ostensibly hit Southern California tomorrow has earned a stern tweet of its own from the United States Geological Survey. You can't predict earthquakes, notes the USGS. And there's no Easter Bunny, either. Dire warnings of a massive quake a ... More >>

Leisure Time

What Would Happen if Haiti Quake Happened Here? Actually, 2009 Report Analyzed Just That.

​Compassion evoked by the scenes of utter devastation in Haiti -- and, really, all Haiti needed was more chaos -- can quickly turn to self-interested fear for those who live and work in quake-plagued regions like our own. There are three answers to the query of what effect a magnitude 7.0 quake wo ... More >>

Earthquake!!! Twitter Gets the Scoop

As any S.F. resident who has a Twitter account may know, a magnitude 4.1 earthquake occurred near Milpitas, CA at 10:09 AM today. Having worked next to a freeway overpass in Los Angeles, we are prone to second guessing ourselves when the earth starts shaking. This morning before we could finish ou ... More >>

Shakedown 20: Day of the Flying Goldfish

Living on the edge -- of the San Andreas Fault​The afternoon of Oct. 17, 1989, is marked for me by one of those brief and intense visual recollections that tend to define childhood memories: A pair of goldfish hovering in the air above their bowl.I was nine years old when the Quake of '89 hit. I g ... More >>

Weekend Pick #1: Word Up

DJ Shortkut​ If you've been following the news at all, you know that the typhoon which struck the Philippines has caused untold devastation. This is a grievous concern for many Bay Area folks who have friends and family over there. This Saturday, "Word Up" at Azul will be donating 100% of the ... More >>

In Deep

Feds to Katrinians: Go Spork Yourselves

The Big One: 29 Years in the Making

The Big One: We're Screwed!

Why? Has a Stalker, Pt. 7

Developments in Shaky Town

Have developers killed the possibility of higher seismic standards for new high-rises?

Ding-Dong! Who Is It? EARTHQUAKE! ... Could Alarm's Ring Reveal Quakes?

Hayward Fault Ready to Rock the East Bay, Nerds Warn Today at Moscone

I Survived the Alum Rock Quake and All I Got Was This Lousy Feeling of Imminent Doom

'Pandemonium' 'Screaming' and Other Earthquake Observations

The Call of Katrina

Dirty Dozen Brass Band gives sonic insight into New Orleans' stormy history

Ready to Rumble

It's the 100-year anniversary of the 1906 earthquake. Are you a fan of all the hoopla? Take our quiz and see.

FEMA -- a Four-Letter Word?

The only quiz in the world that will tell you if you're an apologist for the Bush administration's Hurricane Katrina response

Katrina Benefits

Stupid White Tricks

It's often embarrassing to be a middle-class Caucasian in San Francisco. Last week it was excruciating.

The Mayor's Quake Insurance Program

Stop the presses: a column in praise of Gavin Newsom's political courage in support of the public interest

Journey to the Center of BART

BART officials scare the shit out of us; local rock legend Paul Kantner says S.F. tap water tastes like shit

A Bridge Too Weak?

A UC Berkeley professor believes the unique new Bay Bridge design is fatally flawed

Turf Battle

Women's pro football players return to Kezar with a new team in a new league, but still without fans

Unsportsmanlike Conduct

The chaotic, unsuccessful, and utterly charming first year of the San Francisco Tsunami of the Women's American Football League

Rubble With a Mortgage

What could be worse than a devasting earthquake in the Bay Area? The day after, when we all realize that no one is covered by insurance.

REAL ASTROLOGY For an Unreal World

Seismic Punt

UC ignores its own engineering report on shoring up the Golden Bears' stadium, but the fans don't care

Masters of Disaster

The San Francisco Office of Emergency Services unveils its new post-apocalypse playbook