Are East Coast Yanks a bunch of pussies?

Earlier in the week, a rare earthquake on the eastern seaboard of the US set off a round of post-9/11 panic. The devastation and trauma was palpable:

Now, with Cyclone Irene bearing down on the Big Apple, a state of emergency has been declared before the storm hits. Mayor Bloomberg has ordered evacuations of low-lying areas and state governor Cuomo has ordered the closure of several bridges if the winds rise above 60 mph, or what we Wellingtonians call a light breeze. Hell, we don't even bother closing the airport in such weather.