ORANGE COUNTY IN BANKRUPTCY
The Relative Worth
How much is $1.5 billion?
More than $1,000 for each county taxpayer
Laid end to end, 1.5 billion dollar bills would circle the earth almost six times at the equator
How does the $1.5 billion loss compare to other disasters?
Oakland firestorm, 1991: $1.7 billion*
Loma Prieta earthquake, 1989: $960 million*
Southern California wildfires, 1993: $950 million*
Los Angeles riots, 1992: $775 million*
What would $1.5 billion buy?
One and a half Foothill tollways or one and half San Joaquin Hills tollways
Twenty-four Thomas F. Riley Terminals at John Wayne Airport
About 12 Anaheim Ponds
Two Disneyland expansions
Nearly 80% of the Interstate 5 Widening Project
*Insured losses
Source: Property Claims Sevices (American Insurance Services Group), Times reports; Researched by SHEILA A. KERN / Los Angeles Times
