"An earthquake occurring in Greece or Cyprus will barely affect us. Even earthquakes exceeding magnitude five will still leave us almost untouched," the researcher explained. "If a 2004 Pacific Ocean earthquake devastated Indonesian coasts, killing hundreds of thousands, and a 2011 destructive earthquake struck Japan's Fukushima reactors, no comparable danger exists regionally. The Mediterranean Sea's small size prevents the development of large tsunamis. The most severe scenario brings waves reaching one meter high."

The country remains unprepared

Nevertheless, Dr. Avni delivers no reassuring message and emphasizes that Israeli citizens face exceptional exposure to earthquake damage from the Syrian-African fault. "Statistical projections indicate one earthquake per century. The prior earthquake struck in 1927, and now, 98 years later, we sit squarely within the statistical window."

Video: The destruction in west Turkey following an earthquake. Credit: X

The source stated, "Israel should have prepared substantially for earthquakes, yet in reality, only 87 schools across risk zones have been strengthened from 1,600 functioning regionally. Moreover, five of seven hospitals fail to meet protective requirements. These numbers persist despite a 2008 decision allocating 3.5 billion shekels ($987 million) addressing concerns over 25 years, representing 140 million shekels ($39 million) annually."

This predicament persisted after 2010 when the government initiated funding for the sector. Allocation continued approximately two years before stalling when the Treasury Ministry demanded Health and Education ministries finance reinforcements independently. The saga extended until 2017-2018 when two powerful earthquakes struck Syria and Turkey. In 2019, the government committed five billion shekels ($1.41 billion) for reinforcements, projecting implementation through 2030. Yet even here, merely 850 million shekels ($240 million) have materialized. "All while discussing critical infrastructure protection," Dr. Avni clarified.

The nightmare projection – magnitude 7.5 earthquake

Does the once-per-century statistic hold absolutely?

Dr. Avni noted this represents an average. "The country's last earthquake occurred in 1927. Previously, a devastating earthquake demolished Safed city, causing 5,000 fatalities in 1837. Earlier, in 1759, a severe earthquake hit the Bekaa Valley. Though intervals occasionally widened, the average remains roughly centennial. From this perspective, we occupy the danger zone, yet no comprehensive preparation exists, as the State Comptroller highlighted in the 2024 earthquake follow-up report."

Dr. Michael Weiss, Emergency Medicine Department head at Safed Academic College, outlined the nightmare scenario underlying national emergency readiness. "Israel's earthquake nightmare scenario depicts a magnitude 7.5 earthquake centered in Beit She'an. The scenario projects 16,000 fatalities, 6,000 severe injuries, and approximately 377,000 evacuations. Additionally, 10,000 buildings would collapse with tens of thousands sustaining major structural damage."

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The United States Geological Survey confirmed the underground disturbance occurred at 10:18 p.m., originating six miles beneath the surface in the Bergen County community located approximately 13 miles from Midtown Manhattan.

Tremors from the Hasbrouck Heights earthquake reached residents in Upper Manhattan neighborhoods including Hell's Kitchen, extended north to Riverdale in the Bronx, and traveled south to Staten Island, The New York Post reported. Officials confirmed no injuries or structural damage occurred immediately following the seismic activity in New York City.

Ground movement persisted for as long as 10 seconds in certain areas of the Garden State, with residents also experiencing shorter duration shaking in Nutley, New Jersey, positioned roughly nine miles south of the earthquake's center, according to The New York Post.

"It sounded like a bang, followed by a shake and it lasted about two seconds," Erica Pirchio, 40, who was present in Nutley during the tremor, explained to The New York Post.

The 40-year-old resident described this particular seismic event as exceptionally intense compared to previous regional earthquakes. "I have experienced two earthquakes in New York and New Jersey and this was the most violent – I never heard an earthquake before that sounded like a thud," Pirchio stated to The New York Post. "I thought one of my parents fell."

Staten Island residents reported detecting an extraordinarily loud sound accompanying the ground movement. "It almost sounded like a car hit the side of the house, the house was swaying," Evan Ferrer, 33, who was viewing a film with his girlfriend at their residence near South Beach when the shaking commenced, told The New York Post.

Ferrer compared Saturday's earthquake to a previous regional seismic event from earlier this year. "The one from 2024 was longer, but didn't have a boom as extreme as this. It was a boom followed by swaying that lasted for a few seconds," the 33-year-old explained to The New York Post.

Regional residents experienced a significantly stronger magnitude 4.8 earthquake in April, which originated near Lebanon, New Jersey, but transmitted shock waves throughout New York City, according to The New York Post. The previous week witnessed six minor earthquakes – measuring between magnitude 0.7 and 2.0 – that affected Morris County, New Jersey, occurring within a single 17-hour period, The New York Post reported.

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In Hawaii, residents reported a dramatic retreat of the sea, often a precursor to incoming tsunami waves. Hawaiian Governor Josh Green ordered the cancellation of all flights at Maui's airport, though he noted that "so far, we haven't seen a significant wave." Two-meter (6.5-foot) waves were recorded at sea near Midway Atoll. Honolulu's iconic Waikiki Beach was completely deserted, and traffic jams were reported as locals fled to higher ground. Hotel guests across the islands were ordered to move to upper floors. The US Coast Guard instructed all vessels to head out to open sea.

The most severe impact was reported in Kamchatka, where tsunami waves up to 5 meters (16 feet) struck the town of Severo-Kurilsk, according to Russian news agency RIA. Surfers captured footage of extensive damage to the Russian Navy port in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, where Russia's Pacific Fleet nuclear submarines are docked.

The waves partially flooded a harbor and a fish processing plant, sweeping vessels from their moorings. Other videos showed damage to homes, a hospital, and industrial zones. While no casualties had yet been confirmed, the extent of the destruction suggested injuries were likely.

Kamchatka Governor Vladimir Solodov described the earthquake as "the strongest in decades." The Russian Academy of Sciences confirmed it was the region's most powerful quake since 1952. The quake was shallow, just 19.3 kilometers (12 miles) deep, intensifying its destructive power. "It felt like the walls were about to collapse. It lasted at least three minutes," said Yaroslav, a resident of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. Several injuries were reported, including a person who jumped from a window in panic. Power was cut in the Sakhalin region.

In Japan's Iwate Prefecture, a 1.3-meter (4.3-foot) tsunami was recorded. Tens of thousands of residents were evacuated, including workers at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. In Chiba Prefecture, whales were seen washed ashore due to the waves' force. Japan's Meteorological Agency warned that additional waves could strike up to 24 hours after the initial quake. In Hokkaido, residents were seen fleeing to rooftops, and carmaker Nissan suspended operations at several factories.

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China, Thailand, India, and the United States have sent aid teams and supplies to Myanmar as international assistance gained momentum following a massive earthquake that destroyed large parts of the impoverished Southeast Asian nation on March 28, causing unprecedented destruction.

At least 1,600 people were killed and 3,400 injured in Friday's 7.7 magnitude earthquake, one of the strongest to hit Myanmar in a century, according to its military government. "All military and civilian hospitals, as well as health service workers, must work together in a coordinated and efficient manner to ensure an effective medical response," head of the junta, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, said,  according to state-run media.

Civilian satellite imaging company Maxar released a series of satellite images from the city of Mandalay, showing the massive destruction of the urban landscape. The images show completely destroyed temples, tin shack neighborhoods that were "wiped out" by the quake, the collapsed bridge over the Irrawaddy River, and other prominent buildings that were destroyed or partially damaged.

Rescue teams in the country are suffering from a severe shortage of heavy engineering equipment and medical supplies and are forced to work with bare hands to rescue people trapped in collapsed buildings. The extreme heat prevailing in the country poses a real risk to the lives of those trapped, and the chance of finding people among the ruins diminishes as the hours pass.

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A catastrophic 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Southeast Asia on Friday morning, causing buildings to collapse in Myanmar and Thailand, with authorities declaring a state of emergency in Bangkok as rescue teams scramble to reach hundreds of trapped workers and residents while experts warn the death toll could reach thousands.

The quake originated at a depth of 6.2 miles, triggering widespread panic and destruction across multiple countries. Thailand's prime minister promptly declared a state of emergency.

During a live television broadcast in Thailand, viewers witnessed the dramatic moment when screams erupted as panic-stricken program hosts reacted to the studio violently shaking around them.

Thai media reported that seven buildings collapsed in Bangkok, with 43 workers confirmed trapped in the rubble so far. Khaosod, a prominent Thai news site, reported that the Auditor General's building under construction completely collapsed, leaving the fate of approximately 300 workers unknown at this time.

The powerful tremors were strongly felt across several countries in the region, including Thailand, India, Bangladesh, China, Laos, and Tibet. In Bangkok, Thailand's capital, buildings visibly swayed, emergency alarms blared throughout the city, and terrified residents fled into the streets seeking safety. Swimming pools atop high-rise buildings overflowed, sending cascades of water down the structures, while hundreds of people were evacuated from apartments and multi-story hotels.

Rabbi Nechemia Wilhelm, Chabad emissary in Bangkok, reported: "We felt the quake very intensely but thank God there was no damage."

A Myanmar fire department officer told Reuters: "We have begun searching and are patrolling throughout Yangon to check for casualties and damage. So far, we don't have any information yet."

A resident in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand described the experience: "I felt it for about ten seconds in my room and then realized I couldn't stay inside. So I ran outside to the street."

Devastating footage from Bangkok captured the moment one building under construction completely collapsed into a heap of rubble and twisted metal. Additional videos documented objects being violently tossed from side to side inside buildings, while footage from throughout the Thai capital showed water pouring from rooftop pools.

โอมายก้อด ที่จตุจักรตึกที่กำลังก่อสร้างถล่มเลย #แผ่นดินไหว pic.twitter.com/VrHsWbK6Nb

— ◡̈ ปะติ๊ด ೀ⋆｡ (@Inthemiddleoft9) March 28, 2025

Approximately 300 workers were at the Auditor General's building construction site during the earthquake. Currently, authorities cannot confirm how many managed to escape, how many remain trapped in the rubble, or how many have perished. Rescue and extraction teams are working frantically at the scene. Disturbing footage from the site shows one worker screaming in agony with only his upper body visible among the building debris.

Israelis in Bangkok during the quake shared their frightening experience with Israel Hayom: "It lasted almost four minutes. Everything moved, we felt real fear." According to their accounts, many residents quickly evacuated from high-rise buildings and gathered anxiously in the streets below.

The earthquake struck near Mandalay in central Myanmar, a city of 1.5 million residents. Circulating footage shows multiple collapsed buildings and debris scattered throughout the city streets.

At least dozens of fatalities have been confirmed in Myanmar, though officials expect the death toll to rise significantly. The country's ongoing bloody civil war and severe underdevelopment are complicating rescue operations.

Social media platforms quickly filled with videos showing the extensive damage: buildings violently shaking, terrified people fleeing through streets, and water erupting from pools on upper floors of high-rises. Multiple eyewitnesses in Bangkok continue to report concerning aftershocks.

Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that strong tremors were also felt in Yunnan province in southwestern China along the Myanmar border, though no casualties have been reported in China. Witnesses contacted by Reuters in Yangon described scenes of mass evacuation as people fled buildings throughout Myanmar's largest city.

Dr. Ariel Heimann, geologist and researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), provided context on the earthquake: "This is a powerful earthquake that severely hit Myanmar and also Bangkok. Although most of the initial information is currently coming mainly from Bangkok, I estimate that the majority of damage and casualties will be in densely populated Myanmar."

He further explained: "The shallow depth of the quake, 6.2 miles, only intensifies its destructive impact. The cause of the earthquake is the collision of the Indian subcontinent with Asia, the same collision that formed the Himalayan mountain range. According to damage assessment by the US Geological Survey, more than a thousand fatalities are expected, and this is a very conservative estimate. There is potential here for many thousands of victims."

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A 5.4 magnitude earthquake originating near Damascus reverberated through several regions of Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, and various parts of Israel, including Tel Aviv and the country's northern areas, late Monday night. Magen David Adom (MDA), Israel's national emergency medical service, reported no injuries or damage. The organization received only a handful of calls to its 101 emergency line, primarily from citizens reporting feelings of anxiety.

In Lebanon, the tremors were felt in the capital Beirut, the eastern Bekaa Valley, and the northern regions of the country. The sudden jolt prompted some Beirut residents to hastily leave their homes in vehicles, amid the ongoing tension over a possible regional conflagration in the wake of tensions between Israel and Hezbollah and Iran over recent assassinations. Jordan reported minimal impact from the quake, which was felt approximately 217 miles from the capital, Amman, near the Syrian border.

Dr. Raed Ahmed, who heads the Syrian Seismology Center, pinpointed the earthquake's origin to the east of Hama, a city in central Syria. He reported that the quake struck with a magnitude of 5.5 around midnight. A Syrian resident described the scene: "As soon as the earthquake was felt, people rushed to the streets, fearing their homes might collapse."

The civil defense apparatus of the Assad regime announced that search and rescue teams were placed on high alert in several areas of northwestern Syria. However, as of the latest update, no reports of significant damage had been received.

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All Israelis in Morocco who were not immediately reachable following a devastating earthquake that hit the country were contacted and were safe and sound.

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Over 2,000 people were killed, and the toll was expected to rise as rescuers struggled Saturday to reach hard-hit remote areas. The magnitude 6.8 quake, the biggest to hit the North African country in 120 years, sent people fleeing their homes in terror and disbelief late Friday.

Video: Deadly earthquake hits Morocco

An Israeli relief mission comprising IDF troops, Health Ministry officials, and medics from the Magen David Adom rescue service was announced and was expected to arrive in Morocco later on Saturday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed his condolences to Moroccan people in a statement. "I pray for them and vow to help as much as needed," the statement said, noting that he had instructed the government agencies to help their counterparts in Morocco.

Kobi Ifrach, who runs the Kulna organization in Morocco that fosters ties between Israel and Arab nations, recalled the moments of horror, saying, "While singing Shabbat songs, the house started swaying from side to side with a strong tremor. We immediately realized it was an earthquake and ran outside in crazy hysteria.

"The ground was still shaking outside. After a few minutes, we realized that this was a different event from what we knew or had been in before. In the street outside, everything was falling down," Ifrach said, adding that he and other Kulna volunteers made sure that the members of the local Jewish community were safe.

He continued, "In the morning, the destruction became clear, dozens of houses collapsed. "Our synagogue, from the outside everything is broken and destroyed and there was no way to get inside, where the ceiling collapsed."

Another Israeli tourist said, "There were a few minutes of chaos, but immediately after the earthquake we gathered in the central square, so the police protected us and later they moved us to another separate square, less full than the city's central square, where all those whose houses were destroyed, or those who are afraid of the second earthquake, went. They stood there dusty, shocked, not knowing what would happen to them, then they sat down on the ground and started eating. That's how it is here, life goes on."

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Iran used earthquake relief flights to bring weapons and military equipment into Syria to buttress Tehran's defenses against Israel and strengthen President Bashar al-Assad, according to Israeli, Western, Syrian, and Iranian sources.

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After the Feb. 6 earthquake in northern Syria and southern Turkey, hundreds of flights carrying supplies from the Islamic Republic began landing in Syria's Aleppo, Damascus, and Latakia airports, and this went on for seven weeks, the sources told Reuters. The supplies reportedly included advanced communications equipment and radar batteries and spare parts required for a planned upgrade of Syria's Iran-provided air defense system for use in its protracted civil war.

"The idea that Iran smuggled weapons to Syria, exploiting the earthquake emergency mission, is very much part of its playbook, and Iranian officials have bragged that they are getting away with it," said Jason Brodsky, policy director for United Against Nuclear Iran.

"It's all part of a very concerning threat landscape that confronts Israel," he told i24NEWS. "At a time when Israel is consumed over internal divisions over the judicial reform issue, as well as this earthquake aid situation and the perceived distraction of the United States away from the region, the Islamic Republic senses it has an opportunity to expand its footprint and carry out more aggressive operations against Israel."

When asked if Iran had used humanitarian relief planes after the quakes – which the United Nations said left more than 6,000 people dead in Syria – to move military equipment there to help Assad, Iran's mission to the UN said: "That's not true."

Regional sources and an unnamed Israeli defense official were cited by Reuters as saying that Israel quickly became aware of the flow of weapons into Syria – which were mainly delivered to Aleppo – and responded with an aggressive campaign. For example, just hours after two Iranian cargo planes landed with arms shipments under the pretext of aid relief, Aleppo's runway was hit by airstrikes attributed to Israel, Western intelligence sources said.

Other strikes blamed on Israel have also targeted weapons warehouses in the Jabal Manea Kiswa mountain range south of Damascus, where Iranian troops and forces of Lebanon's Hezbollah terror movement have built a fortified military site, according to three of the sources.

A Syrian officer told Reuters that Israel was stepping up its efforts to defeat Iran in Syria: "Why now? Simply because they have information that something is being developed quickly. They must stop it and hit it to slow it. The quake created the right conditions. The chaos that ensued allowed Iranian jets to land with ease."

In the event of a humanitarian catastrophe, UN relief planes are allowed to seek landing rights from local authorities and humanitarian goods are exempt from sanctions. After the earthquake, Syrian authorities granted landing rights to direct flights coming from Russia and Iran.

"The quake was a sad disaster, but at the same time, it was God's help to us to help our brothers in Syria in their fight against their enemies. Loads of weapons were sent to Syria immediately," Reuters cited a regional source close to Iran's clerical leadership as saying.

This article was first published by i24NEWS.

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Two minor earthquakes were felt in northern Israel on Sunday afternoon within the span of 12 hours, the first being a 3.7 magnitude quake followed just several hours later by a 3.5 magnitude quake.

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According to media reports, the seismological event was felt in Haifa, the Jordan Valley, Tiberias, Beit Shean and Afula.

Experts who spoke with Israel Hayom on Sunday explained whether these tremors can be seen as a sign of a much larger earthquake to come.

Haifa University seismologist Dr. Avi Shapira, who is also a former chairman of the Inter-Ministerial Steering Committee on Earthquake Preparedness, said the tremors as they occurred on Sunday were a rare yet not completely unfamiliar phenomenon.

"Two consecutive tremors in the same place are certainly a surprise and are relatively rare, although this doesn't mean it is something that isn't known in the world or in Israel. We've had quakes in the same place before, similar to what just happened. With that, it's clear this is a rare event and it needs to be thoroughly examined. Let me just say, thus far no studies have been done on the subject, such that it is no more concerning than the routine tremors we have in Israel."

According to Shapira, "Israel as a country needs to prepare better for earthquakes. I hope that when a stronger earthquake does happen, we will already be ready. In any case, such a quake will happen and at least as of now we know it will cause damage because there isn't enough readiness and protection in the Beit Shean area and its surroundings."

Q: Are two quakes in the same place a sign of an impending stronger quake?

"No, it's not an indicative sign and we cannot predict when a strong earthquake will occur in Israel. Regardless, what can be said is that there's a tremendous amount of energy underground in that area that failed to release initially, hence the subsequent quake."

Prof. Moshe Inbar of Haifa University, an expert on natural disasters, told Israel Hayom that "tremors of this magnitude are not rare and happen all the time in Israel. In the Dead Sea area, a magnitude 2-3 tremor on the Richter scale occurs every 24 hours, and sometimes in one 24-hour period several such tremors occur. Therefore, the fact that there were two magnitude-3.7 tremors in the north is not unusual. With that, I know that in the entire north of the country, in Beit Shean, Hatzor Haglilit, Tiberia, Kiryat Shmona and elsewhere, there hasn't been much progress in terms of Tama 38 (Israel's national outline plan for the seismic strengthening of existing buildings), and this is extremely grave. At the very least, all public building must be fortified, because a strong quake is expected in Israel and this situation is concerning."

Dr. Efraim Laor, the head of the National Research Institute for Disaster Reduction (AFRAN) at the Holon Institute of Technology, said, "There are places in the world where an accumulation of consecutive tremors… leads to a larger quake later on. To determine this, however, you need to do research and install formulas for complex systems. But there are indeed places where it's been proven that a series of small tremors is a precursor to a large quake. In Israel, no such study has ever been done and essentially we have no information at all on the characteristics of the behavior of consecutive tremors in Israel."

Laor added: "I must say that when the tremors occurred on [Sunday], I practiced a swift exit drill with my family, despite the fact that our building is very well fortified, even against strong quakes. Sadly, no one else on my street went outside and that's not good. Just as the coronavirus fell upon us and just as wars fall upon us, an earthquake will fall upon us. And we need to constantly train and not wait for the moment of truth, because by then no one will know what to do. There will be an earthquake in Israel and we need to wake up now before it's too late," warned Laor.

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Aid efforts to get to the remote site of Saturday's deadly earthquake in Haiti are ongoing but are being hampered by a tropical storm that brought heavy rains to the region.

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Among agencies providing assistance is the Israel nongovernmental IsraAID, which also provided help to the island nation following a 2010 earthquake and 2016 hurricane.

IsraAID spokesperson Ethan Schwartz told Jewish News Syndicate that two international team members, including the group's emergency coordinator for Haiti, were expected to land in Haiti on Tuesday and "will connect with our in-country team of Haitian former IsraAID staff members and partners, who are currently being mobilized to support this emergency response."

"Our initial priorities will be distributing urgently needed relief items and personal protective equipment, safe water provision, and providing psychosocial and mental health support to affected communities in the midst of this disaster," he continued.

As many as 2,000 people have been confirmed dead in the wake of the August 14 quake, which registered a magnitude 7.2 on the Richter scale, with some 7,000 more injured and homeless. Additionally, authorities are saying that nearly 85,000 houses have been damaged or destroyed, along with public infrastructure, including hospitals, schools and bridges.

Adding to the misery was the arrival on Monday of Tropical Storm Grace, which dumped at least five inches of rain on the island.

"Last night, I saw strong winds and heavy rainfall strike the same areas already affected by the earthquake," UNICEF's representative in Haiti Bruno Maes said in a press release on Tuesday. "Countless Haitian families who have lost everything due to the earthquake are now living literally with their feet in the water due to the flooding."

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He added that "right now, about half a million Haitian children have limited or no access to shelter, safe water, health care and nutrition."

Schwartz noted that the storm "compounds the existing emergency situation for communities affected by the earthquake, and, of course, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. With that in mind, our team is preparing to respond to these multiple concurrent emergencies when they arrive in the affected area."

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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