--- Updated on 17 Feb. 2008 - Mise à jour le 17 fev. 2008 ----
An unusual experience, at least for us. I don’t think we knew before coming to live here that Israel was at all related to earthquakes. In fact, as it turns out, the Carmel range is on a major fault line. Today’s was the second in a week, although we hadn’t felt the first one because we were sleeping soundly (exhaustedly?).
John and I were both still at work. The furniture and lights around us shook but nothing so serious as the powerful earthquakes we’ve seen on television.
One thing is for sure, though: These natural phenomena serve to remind us how small and powerless we are in the face of nature!
Une expérience hors du commun. Tout du moins pour nous. Je ne pense pas que nous avions avant de venir vivre ici que des tremblements de terre avaient lieu en Israël. Celui d’aujourd’hui s’était le second en une semaine (on n’a pas senti le premier, c’était pendant la nuit).
John et moi étions toujours au travail lorsque ce tremblement de terre a eu lieu. Les meubles et les lumières ont secoué, mais rien d’effrayant et comparable aux tremblements de terre puissants dont on entend parler à la télé.
Une chose est sûre, les phénomènes naturels comme celui d’aujourd’hui, nous rappellent comment on est tout petit et impuissant face à la nature !
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First Published:
12:47 , 02.15.08
Latest Update:
16:20 , 02.15.08
Magnitude 5.3 earthquake hits IsraelStrongest earthquake to rock country in a decade felt from Nahariya in the north down to Beersheba; epicenter near Tyre, Lebanon. It is impossible to predict when strong earthquake will take place, says expert
Ynet
An earthquake registering 5.3 on the Richter Scale was felt by residents across Israel at 12:36 pm Friday. The trembling lasted for 19 seconds and shook structures in many major towns and cities.
Reports of shaking were received from Nahariya in the north down to Beersheba. Magen David Adom emergency services said there were no reports of injuries, but several people suffered from shock.
The quake's epicenter was located 15 kilometers (10 miles) northeast of the Lebanese town of Tyre, or 70 km (45 miles) northeast of Haifa.
"It was really cool. The quake was pretty strong," Shahaf Cohen of Haifa told Ynet. "Everything in our house shook; so did the house itself. A few aftershocks followed the initial quake. It lasted for about 20 seconds."
Shai Hadad of Petah Tikva was working at his computer when the quake hit. "The chair and bed moved from side to side. The felt another weaker quake," he said.
The quake was the strongest to hit Israel in a decade.
The earthquake also shook Beirut, other parts of Lebanon and the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Residents in some areas of Beirut left their apartments and went into the street after the first jolt shortly after midday, which lasted a few seconds. A Lebanese man and two Palestinians were injured in Tyre when a balcony fell on top of them, the Lebanese National News Agency reported.
Residents of Damascus, the Syrian capital about a 2-hour drive away, reported feeling the quake as well. There was no word on the magnitude, but it appeared to be a small quake.
On Monday night, a mild earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter Scale was felt across Israel, from Kiryat Shmona in the north to the Jerusalem area. Police and emergency centers in the north were flooded with phone calls from concerned citizens wishing to report the quake.
'Almost nothing being done in Israel'
Despite the recent quakes, experts explain that this does not indicate that a stronger earthquake is expected any time soon.
"This does not testify to an increase or a slowdown. In any case, we must take note of the situation, regardless of what happened," Dr. Dr. Ephraim Laor, who headed the steering committee appointed to prepare for earthquakes, told Ynet on Friday.
Thousands of earthquakes and seismic activities are felt across the world every year, some of them affecting nearby areas. One of them was Friday's quake, whose epicenter was located in southern Lebanon.
Despite the fact that earthquakes have claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people over the past century, it is still impossible to predict when a strong quake will take place.
Dr. Laor presented as an example the earthquake which took place in Iran in 2003, leaving more than 40,000 people dead.
"The quake was in a place where there had not been one movement in more than 2,000 years," he said.
And what is Israel doing in order to prepare for such a quake. According to Dr. Laor, almost nothing.
"Work has been done, but it was almost stopped completely following the Second Lebanon War. It has hardly been resumed, and I hope now it will be resumed," he added.
Dr. Laor noted that apart from reinforcing buildings, Israel must keep in touch with its neighboring countries and international organizations, as a disaster in the country is expected to claim the lives of some 16,000 people.
The Geophysical Institute of Israel reported that several areas in Israel were prone to earthquakes, including the Great Rift Valley which stretches along the Jordanian border.
"There are seismogenic areas in Israel where the likelihood for an earthquake is much greater than in other areas across the country. In general, the area which generates earthquakes is the Dead Sea Rift, but there are also other areas which suffer from quakes from time to time, like the southern Lebanon area," explained Dr. Uri Frieslander, the institute's director-general.
Dr. Frieslander believes that Friday's quake had nothing to do with the 7.3-magnitude quake which took place in Greece on Thursday.
Tal Rabinovsky, Hagai Einav and AP contributed to the report
12:47 , 02.15.08
From Ynet.net
Earthquake felt in Israel
Earthquake felt from Nahariya in the north down to Beersheba at around 12:30 pm; no reports of injuries
Ynet
At 12:38 on Friday morning an earthquake was felt by residents across Israel. The trembling lasted for a few seconds and shook structures.
Reports of shaking were received from Nahariya in the north down to Beersheba. Magen David Adom emergency services said there were no reports of injuries or damage in quake.
"It was really cool. The quake was pretty strong," Shahaf Cohen of Haifa told Ynet. "Everything in our house shook; so did the house itself. A few aftershocks followed the initial quake. It lasted for about 20 seconds."
The earthquake also shook Beirut, other parts of Lebanon and the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Residents in some areas of Beirut left their apartments and went into the street after the first jolt shortly after midday, which lasted a few seconds. Residents of Damascus, the Syrian capital about a 2-hour drive away, reported feeling the quake as well. There was no word on the magnitude, but it appeared to be a small quake.
Associated Press contributed to the report
---
First Published: 12:47 , 02.15.08
Latest Update: 13:14 , 02.15.08
From Ynet.net
Magnitude 5.0 earthquake hits Israel
Earthquake felt from Nahariya in the north down to Beersheba at 12:36 pm; no reports of injuries. Epicenter near Tyre, Lebanon
Ynet
At 12:36 on Friday morning an earthquake that registered 5.0 on the Richter Scale was felt by residents across Israel. The trembling lasted for 19 seconds and shook structures.
Reports of shaking were received from Nahariya in the north down to Beersheba. Magen David Adom emergency services said there were no reports of injuries, but several people suffered from shock.
The quake's epicenter was located 15 kilometers (10 miles) northeast of Tyre Lebanon, or 70 km (45 miles) northeast of Haifa.
"It was really cool. The quake was pretty strong," Shahaf Cohen of Haifa told Ynet. "Everything in our house shook; so did the house itself. A few aftershocks followed the initial quake. It lasted for about 20 seconds."
The earthquake also shook Beirut, other parts of Lebanon and the Syrian capital of Damascus.
Residents in some areas of Beirut left their apartments and went into the street after the first jolt shortly after midday, which lasted a few seconds. Residents of Damascus, the Syrian capital about a 2-hour drive away, reported feeling the quake as well. There was no word on the magnitude, but it appeared to be a small quake.
On Monday night a mild earthquake measuring 4.0 on the Richter Scale was felt across Israel, from Kiryat Shmona in the north to the Jerusalem area.
The quake's epicenter was located about 12.5 miles east of the south Lebanese town of Tyre. No injuries or damage were reported.
Police and emergency centers in the north were flooded with phone calls from concerned citizens wishing to report the quake.
Associated Press contributed to the report
1 comment:
i had no idea! in my year in Israel i never experienced one...
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