I wouldn't say "every decade", more like every 2 or 3 years. There have been lots of horrendous earthquakes around the world in the last few years, normally in places that don't get much media coverage. You might see a 3-4 minute clip on two consecutive weeknights on the news, and that's it, even if 1k+ people were killed and many thousands more had their life ruined.

The worst one recently was the Indian Ocean Boxing Day quake in 2004 - wikipedia quote: "the United Nations lists a total of 229,866 people lost, including 186,983 dead and 42,883 missing."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2004_Indian_Ocean_earthquake

Also see this page for other earthquakes, particularly the "Recent earthquakes not listed above" section:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes

There is the kashmir earthquake from 2005 with estimated fatalities of >75K, earthquake in Java in 2006 with ~6k fatalities, another one in Peru just this last August with 514.

I think earthquakes seem to not be a big deal, because they tend not to hit western countries so much. and so the media doesn't really cover them.


Also, when that second jolt hit, you should have been up and out of your desk and standing under a doorway, or under the desk itself. Earthquakes can ramp up very quickly, and fore-shocks are not uncommon. It's hard to get somewhere safe if the 2nd jolt is very sharp and violent and you lose your footing or smack your head on something.

 

I went through a 7.6 earthquake back in 1977 (yes, I am older than you!) with aftershocks that continued for months. It one took place in Central America.

Which is why I will never live permanently in California or Central America ever ever again.

From what I understand, California is overdue for a really big one and might tumble into the sea anyday.

Not for me!

 

Yeah, it's kinda like sharks or bears. Sure, they might kill you, but you will rarely if ever encounter one, and when you do it usually won't be a big deal.

 

as a native californian, i think the problem is earthquake complacency. how long do you stand around before thinking, hmm...this might be the "one"? The earthquake was long but not particularly stronger than a rumbling truck, so we didn't run for cover. Then again in '89 I didn't move a step either since I was already sitting against a wall.

 

Rule of thumb: If shit starts shakin', hit the street. Yeah, you can brush off the small quakes, but chances are that if you're in an older house, it isn't very earthquake resistant, and for all you know, the small quake you felt could be the foreshock of a bigger quake.

And people fear them for the same reason they fear any natural disaster; it not only ruins everything they've built, but it ruins everything AROUND everything they've built. Then they have to play that whole refugee game while possibly coping with the loss of loved ones. But really, it isn't the loss of life aspect, but rather the "ripping your life to shreds in one fell swoop" aspect that incites fear.

 

Hayward fault is overdue for a major quake. If that goes, all homes built on bayfill will be destroyed (lots!) as well as severe damage and destruction in the East Bay. Really its just a matter of time...