Born and lived in southern California until I retired when I was 58 in 2000 and moved to Colorado. I experienced a lot of earthquakes. 2 really stand out for me.
The Whittier quake in 1987 was a tough one as it effected my job big time. I was a Manager on the B2 Stealth Bomber program in Pico Rivera. Highly classified with literally 1000's working at the plant. In my area a main water line broke in the ceiling , lights went out and chaos everywhere. Luckily we had just practiced our evacuation plan. I got everyone (125 people) out and to our assigned place in the parking lot (all the light poles were numbered and we were assigned one) and took role. Because we worked with a lot of Top Secret data, myself and 2 other Managers went back into the plant to secure and lock up everything we could find. An aftershock rattled everything when we were inside and lots of the ceiling broke away and started falling and we got the hell out. Plant was shut down for a week. Production also stopped as we had to check all of the tooling and assembly stations for level and position.
The Northridge quakes was in 1994 and I was working on the F18 fighter at our plant near LA Airport. I was on my way to work at about 5:00 AM on a freeway when it started. Large chunks of concrete was falling from overpasses, transformers blowing up and several accidents right in front of me. Got to work and sent everyone home and shut the plant down. Same problem with all of the tooling and assembly stations. Lots a full week getting thing back running.
Earthquakes are pretty scary, but were a fact if life in California. Been here in Colorado for almost 20 years and no earthquakes!!!