If you are used to something you learn to deal with it. I have experienced many hurricanes in my lifetime, so the fact that Irene is on the way here or near here does not really bother me much.
We don't get many snowwtorms here, so we don't deal with them very well.
As of now, I have experienced one earthquake in my 50 year lifetime. It was not really bad here, but it was an interesting new feeling to experience. People on the east coast are talking about it because it is very unusual here. The experts also commented on the differences of the earth's plates (east vs. west) and how it makes the effects quite different on the east coast, causing this quake to be felt all the way from Canada to Georgia.