what if

On this day, October 8, 1983 a moderate earthquake shook central New York up as far as Canada. It measured a surprising 5.3 on the Richter scale. At 6:19 in the morning, busy and bustling Manhattan residents felt or were awoken by the effect; waves were being generated in water beds and things began falling off of shelves in homes among other things. The last earthquake of any comparable size had occurred nearly forty years before and it measure a 5.9. This was obviously a negative historical event, as it caused fear and could have had potential for lasting damage. Internationally speaking, this event really didn't have much of an impact at all, and the national impact was minimal. I'd say it put officials and citizens alike on edge though and most likely was an exigence for them to reiterate safety procedures for such natural disasters, and to better fortify their cities for similar or more significant future occurrences. I think this event is important though because it's just one of those highly unexpected things that you can never be too prepared for, and most of the time citizens aren't adequately prepared for random earthquakes in areas in which they are quite uncommon. People were so fortunate in this situation because the earthquake didn't cause any devastation. It makes you stop and think about what "could have been," or ponder, "what if" and it makes you grateful for what actually happened instead. If this earthquake had possessed a greater magnitude, it certainly would have affected our country in a more broad and encompassing way. We just have to be prepared for anything and everything for the safety and security of our country and its people.