Not quite that severe, but some of it must have seemed pretty close. More than the land moving, though, a lot of the most harrowing stories I've heard involve the crazy waves that swept over entire towns.

Undisciplined

As a child I couldn't comprehend the idea of an earthquake. Those photos made an impact.  I thought the earth literally cracked open and things got taken down beneath the crust. I had nightmares about it. 

siggy47

Stacker Saloon

saloon

Some of the accounts from '64 are completely insane. I guess that's not surprising considering the pictures of the aftermath.