An earthquake originating west of Cyprus was also felt last night (Wednesday) in Israel.
According to the Geological Survey of the United States (USGS) the quake had a magnitude of 5.3 and a depth of about 30 km.
The Home Front Command updated that the noise occurred 388 km northwest of Nahariya. A tweet from the Home Front Command's Twitter account stated that "no earthquake warning was activated, as it is not an earthquake that endangers the residents of Israel."
An earthquake occurred last night (2/2/2022, at 23:03 Israel time) at Magnitoda 4.5 388 km northwest of Nahariya, in the Cyprus area.
No earthquake warning was activated, as it is not an earthquake that endangers the residents of Israel.
We Refresh the guidelines again》
https://t.co/M0sDmXiN8J pic.twitter.com/ry99q8unOH
Home Front Command (@ PikudHaoref1) February 2, 2022
Just last week, Israel experienced two earthquakes measuring 3.7 on the Richter scale in the north of the country.
One of the noise points was about 19 kilometers northeast of Beit She'an, while the second noise (with the same intensity) occurred according to the Geological Survey of Israel, 16 km southeast of Tiberias.
Guide: How to prepare for an earthquake in Israel
How do you know an earthquake is occurring?
During an earthquake you feel the floor shaking.
The windows rattle in their rails, the objects and furniture begin to move strangely, the lamps in the ceiling sway and the vibrations make it difficult for stability and movement.
The feeling is that you are standing on a ship swaying on the waves of the sea.
How to behave while staying inside a building?
First, move quickly to a safe place in the following order of priority:
1.
Open space:
If you can leave the building in a few seconds - get out.
This step is especially true if you are staying in a detached house or ground floor apartment.
Protected space (
MMAD) or stairwell:
If it is not possible to leave immediately, enter the MMAD quickly.
If there is no security room - go to the stairwell and sit there until the end of the earthquake. This operation is especially recommended if you are staying in a high-rise building.
3.
Under a heavy table or in the inner corner of the room:
If it is not possible to go out or reach the security room or stairwell - take shelter under a heavy table or in the inner corner of a room.
4.
Once you have reached a safe place:
stay away from exterior walls, windows and shelves.
If you are moving with a wheelchair - lock it and protect your head.
5. Do not use the elevator during and after the quake - you may get stuck in it.
A road that cracked in an earthquake in New Zealand.
It's important to stay away from interchanges and bridges, Photo: GettyImages
How to behave while outdoors?
In this case, stay in the open and stay away from buildings as much as possible.
Open space is considered the safest place.
However, beware of falling objects such as wall cladding stones, air conditioner compressors, broken glass and torn electrical wires.
How to behave while in the car?
When driving - stop immediately:
it
is better to wait inside the vehicle until the tremor stops.
The car protects you.
2.
Do not stop under or near buildings:
It is important to avoid stopping under a bridge, on an interchange, near buildings or under a steep slope for fear of collapsing.
Stay away by car or on foot.
How to behave while staying at the beach?
In that case - leave the beach immediately.
Stay away from the area as much as possible for fear of a tsunami coming and flooding the shore.
Strong and sudden sea retreat - a sign of an "tsunami" wave approaching.
How to act immediately after the earthquake?
Do not light a fire or electrical switch of any kind (including the use of a cell phone), for fear of explosion due to a gas leak.
2. Leave the building and stay in an open area away from buildings.
3. Before leaving the building, disconnect the cooking gas supply tap and the main circuit breaker to the apartment.
In addition, it is also recommended to turn off the main gas tap of the entire building.
According to the steering committee, the renewal of the gas / electricity supply to the building will only be done by a qualified technician and after it is found that the gas system and taps of all consumers in the building are in good working order and closed.
4. Damaged buildings must not be entered without the approval of a building engineer, except for rescue and rescue purposes.
Firefighters fight flames after fire broke out following California earthquake, Photo: AFP
How to behave in the face of people trapped under the rubble?
If in the vicinity of you there are people trapped under rubble, exercise discretion and use household means to lift heavy objects such as the back of a car (jack) or an iron bar.
Provide first aid whenever possible.
If you're trapped under the rubble, try to extricate yourself.
Cover the airways with a garment to protect against dust and avoid exhausting yourself with shouts.
Tap pipes or walls to allow rescuers to locate you.
Also, do not light a fire.
Further to this, it is important to be prepared for further tremors.
These tremors appear minutes, days or months after the quake and may collapse structures that have weakened in the first quake.
TMA 38 project in Kfar Saba, Photo: Archive / No credit
How to prepare in advance for an earthquake?
The most significant way to prevent loss of life and property damage during an earthquake is to make sure that your residential structure is resistant to earthquakes.
It is recommended to hire a building engineer with appropriate training to check whether the house you live in meets the requirements of the Israeli standard for earthquake resistance of buildings (T.I. 413). Buildings built before 1980 do not meet the requirements of this standard. If the house does not meet the standard requirements Action should be taken to strengthen it as soon as possible.
The National Outline Plan for Strengthening Buildings Against Earthquakes (NAP 38) establishes a legal framework that allows for the receipt of building permits for the strengthening of buildings against earthquakes. Especially for buildings whose building permit was issued before 1980.
The plan can be implemented by tenants of a home that meets the criteria, independently or through a contract with a contractor / contractor company.
Suitable contractors can be found by searching the Internet, telephone directories or any other means of advertising. It is recommended that the contractor be selected after verifying that the selected contractor is registered with the Registrar of Contractors.
How to prepare the house for an earthquake?
Most injuries in an earthquake are caused by the collapse of shelves and heavy objects, glass shards, fires and gas leaks.
Libraries, TVs and shelves should therefore be stabilized and their connections to the wall strengthened;
Properly support solar and heating boilers, gas cylinders as well as air conditioners and compressors;
Store toxic and flammable materials in a locked place away from heat source;
And place heavy objects in low places.
Every family is also advised to basically practice a case of an earthquake: Determine in advance, in collaboration with family members and according to the instructions above, a safe place in the home as well as in the workplace that you will reach during an earthquake.
For example, a storage room / stairwell in a high-rise building, an open space in a detached house or a ground floor apartment. Make sure that all the family members know where the main circuit breakers of the electricity and the main taps of the gas and water are, practice how to close them.
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