In Sept 1990 we lived about 50 miles north of the New Madrid fault. Over the years we had experienced many tremors but the 4.6 tremor was centered only 17 miles away. Then a slightly smaller one happened 2 weeks later—so began the Browning Earthquake scare that gained national attention.
Until the 4.6 tremor, I had never heard the rumbling associated with the rolling vibrations that seemed to be coming up I-55 from New Madrid. We prepared, just in case. Thankfully, nothing came of it and we moved away the next year.
We are currently in the process of building a house about 100 miles from New Madrid and basing some of our decisions on the prospect of seismic activity.
That house would have to be built better than the ones in the earthquake zones of California! Good luck ... :-) ...