Baloney.

Go to the library and get a basic book on geology and earthquakes. There are plenty. Earthquakes result from the movement of the earth's crustal plates. Stresses build up and then release - we have a quake. Somewhere between a million and half a million occur annually. Most can barely be felt. Earthquakes are a normal phenomenon, as natural as storms, fires, and tornadoes, which, given where you live, is a much more likely possibility.

Your house, at least here in the US, most likely will not be destroyed. Look at the disparity between Haiti and Chile. The Chilean quake was roughly 500 times more powerful - there the death toll is around 700 (my guess is it will eventually be about 1000). Compare that to poor Haiti - 200,000 dead. Why the difference? Most of the answer is in the different infrastructure and building standards of the two areas.

Most of the US is susceptible to earthquakes, some regions more than others. I recently read that only four states have not experienced quakes - North Dakota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and....Florida! That's right, Minnesota has had an earthquake - I had to look it up. So has Illinois.

I live in Earthquake Central (Southern California). We do some things a bit differently here. Building codes are shaped for earthquake resistance. Water heaters are fastened down. Heavy objects are not on the wall above the bed (nor are mirrors). Prudent folks have emergency gear, food, and water stashed. I have a flashlight, multitool, and shoes (broken glass) right by the bedside. With a few exceptions, earthquake preps are not all that different from those for most other emergencies.

The one factor that is exceptional for quakes is that there is no way of predicting with any degree of accuracy and precision, when they will occur - vastly different from the situation with weather related incidents today. You need to be on your toes here in Earthquake Central.

So evaluate your local situation and realistically prepare for what you are likely to experience. Meanwhile, over the next year, the Pacific Plate will carry me about 5 cm. closer to San Francisco (or at least part of SF). When are they going to reduce the air fare?