The Midwest earthquake that struck early this morning probably came as a shock to many people. Most of us tend to think of earthquakes as something only coastal areas in places like California and Alaska need to worry about. According to CNN, the earthquake measured 5.6 on the Richter scale and its epicenter was near Pawnee, Oklahoma. While the damage from this particular event was relatively minor, it raises the question of whether a truly catastrophic earthquake in the Midwest is a possibility.