>Earthquakes last 3-2 seconds and cause very little damage.

The small ones do. The bigger ones can last much longer and be devastating.

If a quake the magnitude of the one that hit Pakistan last week hits LA, there will be major devastation and loss of life, and basic services will simply not be available.

Experts all say that while not imminent it's likely we'll see one of those "in our lifetimes".

Dan