<p>Carolyn is right. In 2003 here in San Diego we lost over 2000 buildings in one bad wildfire season. All the earthquakes San Diego has suffered in its entire history combined can't come remotely close to 2000. If you want to fear something about living in California, fear wind-driven wildfires, not earthquakes.</p>
<p>What everyone is trying to tell you is dont worry. If the big one comes, just remember to get under a sturdy desk or the nearest doorway ;)</p>
<p>Great :) How about if you could choose living in California or New York, which would it be?</p>
<p>If you are concerned about earthquakes, then I would stay away from colleges in India, Japan, and China where earthquakes tend to result in large losses of life. In the US, earthquakes tend to have major property damage and not a large number of fatalities.
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquakes%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquakes</a> - wikipedia's article on earthquakes is a good place to start. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_earthquakes</a> has lists of earthquakes including number of fatalities. According to it, 3000 people died in the SF 1906 earthquake, 63 people died in the Loma-Prieta earthquake of 1989, and 100K to 150K people died in the October, 2005 earthquake in Kashmir.</p>
<p>All things equal, New York because I have never lived there. I am a big advocate of going to new places to study, hence I am in england right now.</p>
<p>Dude, California is sunny almost all the time. Who cares if the ground shakes.</p>