The earthquake in Virginia was felt from Georgia to Canada, but caused only minor damage and there were no reports of serious injuries.
When the temblor reached New York City, office workers ran out of buildings - the exact opposite of what you're supposed to do.
"Kids at home, the correct procedure is to go under a table or stand in a door way," said Robert Vargas of Pasadena.
Tuesday's quake was the East Coast's largest since 1944. California has experienced 35 quakes of that size since then.
"It says how...acclimated we are to natural disasters here in California. When the East Coast is supposed to be so tough, I think it's funny how we kind of just shrug it off," said Robert Vargas of Pasadena.
On Facebook, people shared a photo of a plastic chair knocked down on a lawn with the title, "DC Earthquake Devastation."
"Really all this excitement over a 5.8 quake??? Come on East Coast, we have those for breakfast out here!!!!" wrote Dennis Miller of Pleasanton, Calif. on Facebook.
Then the tweets came.
"That's what us Californians use to stir our coffees with," Sarah Atkinson wrote.
In Pasadena, Michelle Blalock of Florida defended the East Coast, saying Californians probably would react the same way in a hurricane.
"An earthquake would absolutely terrify me," Blalock said. "Hurricanes are no problem. You just stay inside."
