Eh ... we had worse than 6.9... a few old freeways and an old bridge. These parts we know they come every 80 years... whereas Japan sees them as every 8 years... risk/return. There have actually been a hurricane and tornado in these parts... and we don't do much for them. Last I checked there is a 50-story building in the works, a 48 story residential tower completed, and even bigger plans for an 80 story complex on Mission...
I think Japan has just gone through "Mother Nature's Master Cleanse" and little fella called Little Boy (see Hiroshima/Nagasaki), that everything is anew and built for modern standards. What fell here in SF Bay Area... hadn't been cleansed for 80 years, nor built with the thought in mind that it'd happen again.
Me thinks the top floor of 301 Mission will be one of the safest places in these parts, should we go north of 7 again...