Hi Petra. No devastating quakes hit the Bay Area between 1906 and 1989 with the exception of the 1911 M=6.6 quake NNW of the small town of Coyote. This quake is unique in that it may have occurred on one of the thrust faults that can be found in the area. These faults include the Piercy, Coyote Creek, Silver Creek, San Jose, Evergreen, Quimby, Berryessa, Crosley, and Warm Springs faults. This series of faults are termed the "East Valley thrust
System."

By contrast, three quakes that were 6.5 or greater struck the Bay Area in the 30-year period between 1838 and 1868. In the 151-year period encompassing 1838 to 1989, five quakes of 6.5 or higher -- on average, 1 every 30 years -- have jolted the region (in 1838, 1865, 1868, 1906 and 1989).

In addition, recent research by two top quake experts showed that between 1680 and 1776, a 96-year period, severe quakes struck six of the seven major earthquake fault systems in the Bay Area.

The last large quake to occur on the Hayward fault was in 1868 and was an M=6.8. In 1836 there was an M=6.3 (some records say M=6.7) north of the 1868 quake. An interesting quake occurred in 1865. It was an M=6.5 and occurred just to the southwest of the 1989 Loma Prieta quake, or about 5 miles northeast of Santa Cruz. Can’t say for sure, but the quake may have been associated with the Zayante/Vergales fault.

Of all earthquakes in the Bay Area to stir up trouble the Daly City quake of 1957 did that and then some. There are some people who would like for no one to know about the quake. The earthquake registered a preliminary magnitude of ML 5.0 (NCSN), Mw 4.7 (UC Berkeley) was detected at 01:06:18 UTC, August 18, 1957(6:06 p.m. PDT) along the coast of Marin County. The focal depth was placed at a depth of 6.9 km and the fault plane solution suggested predominately reverse motion along a northwest trending fault plane, with a slight strike-slip component. It could be that when the next 1906 type quake strikes the homes on top of the cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean will be at the bottom of the cliff. Only time will tell. Take Care…Don in creepy town

http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/states/california/california_history.html

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041219171728.htm

http://www.winwaed.com/sci/daly/daly_accounts.shtml

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2004/04/11/BAGB163KV81.DTL