Coalinga, California

Coalinga made national news in 1983 as the site of an earthquake that destroyed more than 800 homes and other buildings, and was felt as far away as Los Angeles and western Nevada. That temblor is known as the Coalinga Earthquake. The 1983 earthquake came as a surprise because active faults are quite remote from this coal town. Many buildings such as the PG & E building are made of unreinforced masonry and suffered major damage.