EARTHQUAKE!
Story of the Sylmar Earthquake of February 9, 1971

Producer: Motion Picture Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture
Presenter: The President's Office of Emergency Preparedness
and the Defense Civil Preparedness Agency

The Sylmar–San Fernando Earthquake struck the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys on February 9, 1971, when a powerful pre-dawn earthquake tore through Southern California, collapsing freeways, hospitals, and critical infrastructure across the region.

This historic government-produced film documents the aftermath of the 1971 Sylmar–San Fernando Earthquake, which claimed 65 lives, injured thousands, and caused widespread destruction throughout the San Fernando Valley, with additional impacts to communities to the north, including the Santa Clarita Valley. At least one confirmed fatality occurred in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Although much of the footage focuses on Sylmar and the city of San Fernando, the earthquake's effects were regional. The film captures collapsed freeway overpasses, emergency radio traffic, large-scale rescue operations, and the failure of major medical facilities including Olive View Hospital and the San Fernando Veterans Administration Hospital. It also documents the crisis at Van Norman Dam, which prompted the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents living downstream.

The film shows the rapid response by local, state, and federal officials, including California Governor Ronald Reagan, who arrived to assess the damage, and U.S. Vice President Spiro Agnew, who traveled to Southern California as part of the federal disaster response. Their presence underscores the scale of the disaster and the national attention it received.

Produced shortly after the earthquake, this unaltered government film provides a rare, firsthand look at how Southern California responded to a major seismic disaster before modern earthquake safety standards were in place. It remains an important historical record of the 1971 San Fernando (Sylmar) Earthquake and its lasting impact on both the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys.