The magnitudes 7.0 and 5.7 earthquakes that struck Anchorage, Alaska, on Nov. 30 shook buildings and shattered highways, but caused limited structural damage and no reported loss of life, mostly due to the depth and location of the quake’s epicenter, as well as the city and state’s stringent building requirements.

Early indications are that code revisions after 1985 quake had a positive effect — when adhered to.

The magnitude-8.1 earthquake that hit Chiapas, Mexico, on Sept. 7 was felt by as many as 50 million people as far away as Guatemala.