The difference between a 7.1 and a 7.9 is with the bigger shaker chests of drawers, tvs, china closets, tables are all flipped over & upside down; 3 foot of everything all over the floor. Woodstoves slide 15 feet across the floor. Houses slide off their foundations and you have 5 foot deep trenches in front yard; slides sideways. Then of course you have more shakers every half hour for at least a month. IF they had a 7.9 in Anchorage, it would be total destruction.
If you check out my link for the other FR post on this earthquake, at comment #34 I describe my experience with a 7.5 earthquake in Mexico City.
I hear you! This one was quite enough, especially with my Mom in a wheelchair. We have stair lifts to get her to the downstairs wheelchair, but it wouldn’t be fun getting her outside.