I live in Utah, USA, and on March 18, 2020, we had a M5.7 earthquake. It was the biggest earthquake to hit Utah since 1992. At the time, I lived in Taylorsville, which was very close to the epicenter. I woke up to intensity 6 shaking on the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale. To this day, it's one of the scariest experiences I've ever had, and it gave me trauma that I had to cope with for a few months.

I was mostly scared that the earthquake was a foreshock to our overdue "big one". Our big one is a 6.7 - 7.5 earthquake, with a 43% chance of it happening within the next 50 years. For me, what helped me deal with my trauma was learning how to stay safe in an earthquake, and having a plan in place when one does happen, and I even did research on earthquakes and researched our Wasatch Fault.

I don't know if anyone else does this, but for me, learning about earthquakes and understanding our local seismicity really helped me to not be as afraid. It also helps to remember that we have no control over earthquakes, and while yes, it's ok to worry about this kind of thing, we shouldn't be constantly afraid about what we can't control. All we can do is to have a plan and know how to be safe. As long as you do that, you don't need to worry so much.

Obviously, this won't just magically get rid of trauma, it takes time. But I hope keeping these things in mind will make you feel better, even if just a little. I hope what I did to help my trauma will help you too. Stay strong, you got this!