35 years later NBC Bay Area [Video]

Thursday marks 35 years since the Loma Prieta earthquake jolted the Bay Area, killing 63 people and injuring about 3,700.

The 6.9 magnitude quake struck at 5:04 p.m. and was centered in the Santa Cruz mountains.

The shaking, which lasted about 20 seconds, flattened a stretch of freeway in Oakland and dislodged a section of the Bay Bridge.

People in schools and offices across the Bay Area will have a chance to practice their earthquake response Thursday morning as part of the “Great California ShakeOut.” Ian Cull reports.

The quake caused an estimated $6.8 billion in direct damage. More than 18,300 houses were damaged and 963 were destroyed. Over 2,500 businesses were damaged and 147 were destroyed.

If you’d like to learn more about the Loma Prieta earthquake, watch the full Bay Area Revelations episode. It includes interviews with survivors, first responders and unsung heroes who experienced one of the strongest earthquakes to rattle the region in decades.