The recent Los Angeles quake measured 6.6 on the Richter Scale. The biggest quake in history was in Japan in 1933 and measured 8.9. Below is a general guide to the Richter Scale. No earthquake has ever measured this high. Very few buildings stay up.
Bridges fall down.
Underground pipes burst. Railroad rails bend. Large rocks move. Smaller objects are tossed into the air. Some objects are swallowed up by the earth.