Recent Earthquakes Pose as Wake Up Call to Residents

"This is a big wake up call to take these seriously," said seismologist Graham Kent, at the University of Nevada, Reno.

Which is why drills like the Great ShakeOut are so important. Until Tuesday night it's been a while since the area has seen an earthquake of such magnitude. 

"We had a magnitude 4.2 in Spanish Springs in 2013," added Kent. 

With the recent quakes, the probability of a stronger earthquake is slightly higher now.

"If you look at some earthquakes that have happened in the last five years it could be over in a little bit for a couple days. If you look at the Sheldon sequence, that had well over 25 magnitude 4s in the last year and a half. That sequence has persisted for a year and a half," said Kent. 

"You should be worried about earthquakes everyday but shouldn't be paranoid," said Kent. 

Experts say to always be prepared. They cannot predict quakes and some quakes have more aftershocks than others. As of 6:45 a.m. Tuesday, we've had 32 reports of earthquakes in the Reno area, and more since. 

"Pretty much all large quakes start with small quakes. That's not always the case, but we tend to have these swarms and every once in a while it throws out a 6.5 or something," said Kent. 

Most of the time there is no warning. For bigger quakes, occasionally you can have a five to ten second lead. But that is rare so early preparation is key. 

"Learn to secure your space. If you're looking at that beautiful picture above your bed it's time to move it out and not put it back up there. Last night was a time to make you think," said Kent. 

But as long as you're prepared there's no need for paranoia.