Cathryn,
The Ferndale quakes happened April 25/26 in 1992. Actually the Northridge quake was made easier to endure by the people on our street. We worked together to check every home, treat any injuries and support each other as the aftershocks rattled our nerves. The strongest memory of the event was the fact you could see a very stary sky when all the lights of LA were out. After the quake, the evening skyline to the north would flash with a white light before the stronger aftershocks. Generally gave you about a 15 to 20 second warning.
Bob in Woodland Hills