Dwarfed by drought, the warming climate and other, more immediate environmental threats, earthquakes aren’t at the forefront of most Nevadans’ minds. But through the mid-20th century, Nevada was known as an earthquake state. While the state has experienced few sizable quakes since then, recent temblors have caught the attention of those who monitor earthquakes. … In the case of the recent earthquakes with epicenters in Yerington and off California’s coast, urban areas such as Reno were “pretty lucky,” [Christie] Rowe said. “If either one had happened in a city, it would have been bad news.” Inspections around the epicenter of the Lyon County earthquake revealed cracks in irrigation ditches and collapses on the banks of the Walker River but no damage to roads or bridges. The quake was also a reminder to officials of the state’s seismic history and the need to beef up some of the hundreds of dams across Nevada, most constructed in the days before statewide engineering standards and made of dirt and other natural materials.