When I lived in California we didn’t even look up for a 5.5.
California's soil, sandy/loamy, dampens the long distance effects of most quakes. Wherein east of the Mississippi, the bedrock allows even a 5.5 quake's effects to 'travel' much greater distances.
That’s a very good point.
Up here in Seattle we’re built on a lahar from Mt. Rainier. We can’t dig down more than an inch without hitting rock. We ought to be in for a wild ride when the big one hits!
The big giant one in 1812 on the New Madrid fault that made Reelfoot Lake (in Tennessee) rang bells in Boston.