The drip pan helps you to see that your water heater is failing before it floods your house. I would recommend a drip pan.
A cheap, high-decibel water leak alarm placed near the hot water heater would be a good investment. Costs around 20 bucks. Also, I learned the hard way that it’s a good idea to replace the heater around the time that the warranty expires, even though there are no signs of failure.
No matter where you live spend the extra $10 and put an earthquake bracket on it.