Earthquakes rattle our psyches as well as our structures. We Californians can crack jokes about jumpy East Coast types, but the truth is, our blood pressure also rises precipitously when the Earth suddenly springs to life, without so much as a warning.
Events such as this month's magnitude-5.8 earthquake centered in Virginia, which shook up lots of people without inflicting tremendous damage, provide a good wake-up call: They offer a chance to consider our response and preparedness plans, and to reconsider what we really know and don't know about earthquakes.
1. Animals sense impending earthquakes.