 That brought in large numbers of Southland viewers; once the flood crisis ended, the viewers stayed with the show.And as a result, ratings improved dramatically.Another critical moment for the "Morning News" occurred on January 17, 1994, when the Northridge earthquake rocked the area, causing widespread damage, collapsing freeways, sparked power outages, ruptured water and gas lines, prompted the stoppage of television and film production, and altered public events and flight schedules due to precaution closures in Hollywood and Los Angeles International Airport.