Yeah, they had really strict building codes after the 1964 earthquake disaster. I think I read somewhere that they used plastic pipes, instead of cast iron, for a lot of the utilities because they would flex a bit more. That one photo of the guy with the car (truck?) on a chunk of the highway like 10 feet lower than the highway in front of him, but surrounded by chasms on all sides... how in the world are they going to get his vehicle out of there!?? It'd take a crane, I think. Also read that they can't really do much to repair the roads until spring.
Thoughts and prayers to them all. Scary stuff. Do not envy them. At all.