The first two events came to pass in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and now Hurricane Katrina.
Officials warn that a major California earthquake could mirror the destruction and disruption seen on the Gulf Coast.
Lucy Jones, U.S. Geological Survey seismologist and scientist-in-charge for the geological survey's Southern California Earthquake Hazards Team, and other earthquake experts are studying the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina to reassess California's preparations for a major quake.
In Los Angeles, all but one of 8,700 unreinforced masonry buildings — the most likely to collapse in a major quake — have been retrofitted or demolished.
After the 1994 Northridge quake, billions of dollars were spent to retrofit more than 2,100 freeway overpasses.
However, The Los Angeles Times reports more than 900 hospital buildings are in need of either retrofitting or total replacement. The state recently agreed to five-year extensions for hospitals that can't meet the 2008 deadline to make the fixes.
Also, more than 7,000 school buildings across the state are vulnerable, with no scheduled timetable for upgrading the structures.
Officials worry about various Los Angeles Police Department facilities. Only two of their 19 stations meet the most rigorous quake-safe rules.
Jones adds that catastrophic movement at the right spot along the San Andreas fault could significantly reduce energy and water supplies — at least temporarily.
According to the Southern California Earthquake Center, there is an 80 to 90 percent chance that a trembler of 7.0 or greater magnitude will strike Southern California before 2024.
