Every day on earth there is an earthquake - every minute the planet trembles somewhere.
Israel is one of the many places around the world where continental plates meet, and where the earth is constantly in motion. People who experienced an earthquake in Israel share how they felt.
[Shalom Ohanina, Beit She’an]:
“I was sitting with guests, and suddenly we felt everything was moving, my library with all the books and glasses inside, everything began shaking. We were startled, and didn’t understand what was going on until we realized it was actually an earthquake."
[Mordechai, Beit She’an]:
“You just don’t know what to do, you try to hold on to this or that. But no one has 10 hands."
The earthquake experienced recently in Israel registered 3.6 on the Richter scale. That’s relatively low, but nevertheless it caused panic and cracks in buildings.
[Mazi, Beit She’an]:
“Everything was moving, and it felt as if the building was about to collapse, real hard. It was very strong. Only someone who experienced it can understand the intensity of it, it is very frightening, very-very.”
We asked the General Manager at the Geophysical Institute of Israel whether it is possible to predict an earthquake in time to warn the public.
[Dr. Uri Frieslander, General Manager, Geophysical Institute of Israel]:
“The answer is no. Earthquakes are unpredictable, and anyone who says they are, at least at the current stage of development in research on the subject, well you might say he’s misleading the public… there were cases in the past when, for example, there was a shift in the level of water in wells prior to an earthquake. There were cases in which animals felt something was about to happen. There were cases in which small earthquakes preceded the big one. The problem is, all these phenomena are inconsistent. That is, sometimes they occur, but not each and every time."
Indeed, today we cannot warn people in advance or prevent earthquakes, but we can minimize the damage if we build properly and according to required strength.
[Dr. Uri Frieslander, Director General, Geophysical Institute of Israel]:
"Earthquakes themselves do not kill, buildings kill. If there is a very strong earthquake in the desert - people are not harmed, but if there is an earthquake in an urban area and the buildings were not built to withstand earthquakes, it can cause destruction with a large number of casualties up to a national disaster and a shutdown of the economy."
Dr. Frieslander further explained:
[Dr. Uri Frieslander, Director General, Geophysical Institute of Israel]:
“In order to build properly, we must know the ground accelerations which might result from an earthquake… we update the ground acceleration map, which is in the appendix of the Israeli Construction Standards. Engineers and constructors should build in the area according to the ground accelerations.”
Will this important lesson be heeded? Will constructors build responsibly with earthquakes in mind? Let’s hope so, and let’s hope we don’t have to check this out in a stronger earthquake.
Reporter:Israela Yablonka Photographer:Anat Markam
NTD News, Israel
The last earthquake reported in Israel was in Bet Shean on January 01, 2011, where mild tremor was felt in Beit She'an, Afula, Tiberias and nearby communities at around 6:30 pm with no injuries, Baruch Hashem.
In 2008, a 5.3 earthquake struck Israel on Friday, February 15, damaging parts of the Temple Mount and areas near Shechem. A large hole was created on the floor of the Mount. See picture.
In 2004, a 5.3 earthquake struck the Dead Sea region, on Wednesday, February 2004. Four people were injured in western Jordan and a landslide occurred in Ma'in. Minor damage to buildings at Jerusalem, Petah-Tiqwa, Tel Aviv and in the Nablus area. Felt from Cairo, Egypt to Lebanon.
Israel is due for a major earthquake according to this source below.
In Israel the last destructive earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.2 on the Richter scale, occurred in 1927. Its epicenter was the Dead Sea, and its effects were felt in Jerusalem, Nablus, Jericho, Ramle and Tiberias, resulting in 500 deaths and injuries to 700. An earthquake in 1837 killed 5,000 people. According to the Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, in 31 B.C.E., 30,000 people lost their lives in an earthquake.
On average, a destructive earthquake takes place in Israel once every 80 years, causing serious casualties and damage. The more time passes since the previous earthquake, the closer we are to the next. In other words, we are running out of time.
