3.5? That's barely like a truck rumbling past your house! ;-)

We lived in Tokyo for a few years and had pretty regular 5-point-something earthquakes. Seemed to only feel them at night because you could see the TV shake or be woken up by the bed rocking.

Haven't had a single one yet in CA (I know I just jinxed myself!). The main danger from earthquakes out in the suburbs are broken gas mains and the fires they could cause. Houses have an earthquake shut-off at the main gas valve. Basically it is a ball bearing that gets knocked off when shaken and shuts of the gas.

Funny story. We had just moved into our house here in CA and DH was doing yard work. Later in the evening I went to cook dinner and no gas. Tried the grill, no gas. Tried the heat, no gas. . Turns out DH had tipped his wheelbarrow right next to the gas main and triggered the earthquake shut-off with the jolt. Who knew! We had to wait up till 1 am when the gas company finally showed up to reset the system.

Yes, I live in major earthquake area. I don't do inspections and have never had structural damage, but I am aware of the potential for things to fall when the next big one hits. I'd never hang a mirror or heavy piece of art over a bed and all the rest of my art is very securely hung. I no longer put my Waterford or other precious breakables toward the front of the cabinets after watching the cupboard doors fling open and my brandy snifters and Italian pottery crash to the floor. I have museum putty holding things on display that I want to keep safe.

I always have food and water and fuel stored that would last a few weeks at least - just in case there was major road destruction preventing getting to a store.

Here is a link that might be useful: Most recent large earthquake near me

Yes, within what is known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone. This is the one that will cause seriously bad damage, tsumamis and essentially complete shut down of the PNW. The entire infrastructure will be impacted.

At work we're putting on during the entire month of January, a series of workshops on how to do disaster preparedness. A lot of people know to have a 3 day supply, but when the CSZ quake hits, it is estimated it could be 3 MONTHS before emergency services could be reaching some areas.,

I grew up in So Cal, so earthquakes are something I'm familiar with. I've been working on our earthquake kit-our house is pretty secure, it's on a solid foundation, but I'm smart enough to know that when the big one hits, we're not likely to even have to worry about the valuables-I'm more worried about survival.

But for the little ones-say up to a 6, we're fairly prepared.

I would've said no, but then again, there was a small earthquake in SE CT yesterday....

I grew up in SoCal and remember the 1971 earthquake...woke up at 6 am or so to see my dresser sliding back and forth. Mom just callled out calmy "are you standing in the doorway?" That's what we were taught to do back then.

I have lived in the DC area for years and a year or so ago was at work and felt the "waves of boulders" rumbling beneath me. Everyone ran outside and I said "we're supposed to stand in a doorway." lol. I have no clue what the current thinking is about what you should do/where to go in an earthquake.

I live in southern California, too. We have small earthquakes all the time. I don't inspect my home for damage, but most homes built here in the last 30 years were built with some earthquake standards.

In your area, I would think you would need to pay attention to cracks in chimneys and keep an eye on unexpected changes in your water bill that might signal a broken pipe or sprinkler system conduit. If I remember correctly, your area suffers greatly from shifting soil resulting in foundation damage which would create similar sorts of problems to the structure of your home as an earthquake, just over a longer period of time.

Other posters gave you good information on preparedness. You can find more information at ready.gov.

New Madrid Fault Line. They keep predicting that there will be a huge earthquake someday that will impact St. Louis, Memphis, and a large geographical area.

Lots of old brick buildings in St. Louis.

Scary stuff.

I've witnessed, or been subjected to, four Earth Shakes in my lifetime. Two in this house. They were small. However the house we lease out in Santa Clara has a damaged fireplace from Earthquakes. The soil is Adobe so it acts like mud during an Earthquake. Built in 1949, the foundation is not reinforced and we have a post tipped over. We are investigating a new foundation currently.

Homeowners in the (leased house) neighborhood that have replaced their foundations have dug deep and reinforced their foundations with rebar and cement deep into the soil.

The house we have that is leased out is in a major Earthquake zone and Earthquake insurance costs thousands per year. Where we live, it's a hundred per year. I think we are safe. Someday, we may have an Ocean view.

I don't think so but who knows? In early Nov. Chicago's west suburbs experienced tremors - initially thought to be blasting from a quarry, then a quake, then back to blasting. Eventually the USGS determined the blasting actually caused a small quake. I live 50 or so miles northeast of the quarry and felt nothing but the tremors were felt in other directions for a significant distance. The New Madrid fault is the closest to Chicago but I don't believe even a major quake would travel this far north.

Here is a link that might be useful: McCook Quarry blast triggers quake

Put me in the camp of I didn't think so but the earth had different ideas a year or so ago. We had a 5.2 in Baltimore that caused mild damage in the area. Fortunately we just got a few more cracks in the 1920s plaster walls- more character I call it. Several houses in our neighborhood lost chimneys.
The houses in my neighborhood were built either before or in the 1920s and so they are pretty vulnerable. The whole house was shaking and it was so surreal and rather frightening. I don't know how the old girl would do in a stronger one.

Oh yes, I know 3.5 is small and one alone wouldn't make me even think about it. And yes, we are in an area where the soil is black gumbo over sandstone and the soil is always shrinking in summer and winter and then doubles in size in spring and fall.

It's that unstable soil with the series of small quakes that makes me wonder how much more settling it is causing.

Another thing I don't understand is why the news reports each one, sometimes one a day for a few days, as an earthquake. I've never heard them say one was an aftershock like I always hear on the news after a big earthquake in CA.

Aftershocks come as the plates that shift continue to adjust to the effects of the earthquake. They occur within the area where the main shock occurred.

When it's called an earthquake, it's because its in a different geographic or geologic area. An aftershock can occur days after the main shock.

Thanks pesky. Just heard on the news that there was another one today north of DFW, 2.something.

They also say they can't tell what is causing them. There is a lot of drilling up there but not much, if any, near me.