Am I the only one who suspects that the lack of earthquake damage in North Dakota is due to a lack of anything to damage there?
That was the saving grace of the New Madrid quakes of 1811-1812: almost nothing to destroy for 3 ~8.0 quakes centered in Missouri that rang church bells in Boston.
And just for reference, more people die in car accidents every year in California than have died from earthquakes in the entire United States for its entire history(assuming fire was the culprit for a number of deaths in the 1906 quake).
There was a minor window-rattling tremor some years ago here in Upstate NY. I thought a big truck had driven down our little side street. Turns out it originated in the Adirondacks a couple hundred miles away. I was astonished to hear that…that’s all I got, I just wanted to tell my 9 day wonder earthquake story.
Detroit, no jobs but no earthquakes, no poisonous snakes, no poisonous spiders, no tornadoes, no hurricanes, no pumas and gators eating people.
But all of the ones you listed were the first ones to leave in absolute terror.
Detroit does have plenty of murders, burglaries, and violent assaults though. 
We have almost no weather “events” here, low humidity, no rats, no poisonous bugs or snakes (well, the odd rattler, but not in town), hardly any mosquitos in summer even. We do, however, have cold that will kill you if you go outside too long for six months of the year. You really do have to figure out what your opportunity cost is. 
Too bad he’s not going to Universal Studios instead. Maybe the Earthquake! ride is just what he needs.
I slept through the next-to-last St. Lawrence Valley quake – there was one (the one salinqmind mentions) after we moved away. People do tend to hear “earthquake” and think the severe and famous ones – my impression from reading things by Californians and the two (light) ones I was supposedly affected by but didn’t notice, is that the typical quake is mild enough not to be a porblem unless you have stacked breakables at the time. I don’t do Mercalli-Richter conversions easily, but I’m talking the little gray dots on bytegeist’s map.
For shame, sir! For shame! You and your scurrilous barbs! I dare you to read the following and not immediately start booking plane tickets:
Birding Adventures in North Dakota
Wildlife enthusiasts who tour North Dakota are thoroughly impressed with such remarkable destinations as the Missouri Coteau, the Turtle Mountains, the Missouri River Valley, the Badlands, the Pembina Gorge, and the Sheyenne Grasslands, along with the best of our 62 national wildlife refuges — we boast more wildlife refuges than any other state.
Maltese Cross Cabin, Medora
Built during the winter of 1883-84, the Maltese Cross Cabin was Theodore Roosevelt’s first home in Dakota Territory.
Dale and Martha Hawk Museum
Pioneer exhibit in Wolford includes collections on original Hawk Farmstead. See early 1900s steam engines, threshers, tractors, autos, large number of farm implements along with a wide range of early household items. Some pre-Civil War era. Tour through 12 buildings on the grounds. Picnic area, camping, RV parking, hot showers, flush toilets, handicap accessible throughout.
National Buffalo Museum
The National Buffalo Museum, located in Jamestown, portrays the evolution of the buffalo through its display and exhibits. Look for the live herd of buffalo and the rare albino buffalo, White Cloud, in the museum’s adjacent pasture.
Corn “Maize” in Mandan
Go South on Hwy 1806 towards Fort Lincoln park. Fifth approach on left hand side of road from 19th Street. Join us for our Grand Opening on September 18th at 7:00 pm. We will have HOT 97.5 at the maize as well as a FREE CORN FEED for our maize goers.
Early 1900s threshers? Teddy Roosevelt’s first home in the Dakotas? An albino buffalo?
National treasures all.
The thing is, I was in an earthquake in California once. It wasn’t a big one, but it woke me out of a sound sleep and I cowered in a doorway for the eternity it lasted. It was a small one by California standards (5.7) but it was TERRIFYING!
I can’t imagine how therapy would work in this case. There is no ‘grass snake’ equivalent of being in an earthquake.
Of course there is.