Senior Seismologist Warns of Looming Disaster Amid Earthquake Preparedness Gaps
Translated & summarized from Maariv by baba
A recent earthquake near Eilat, though minor, has prompted a senior seismologist to warn of Israel's poor preparedness for a major seismic event. A state comptroller's report found that 60% of hospitals are unprotected, and only 3.6% of buildings needing seismic reinforcement have been strengthened. Insurance coverage for natural disasters is also low at 44%, and many schools and buildings in northern Israel still require urgent structural reinforcement.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- A senior seismologist warned of a potential disaster due to Israel's earthquake preparedness gaps.
- 60% of Israeli hospitals are not fortified against earthquakes, according to a state comptroller's report.
- Only 3.6% of buildings requiring seismic reinforcement have been strengthened nationwide.
- Israel's insurance coverage for natural disaster damages is significantly lower than in other developed nations.
- Many schools and buildings in northern Israel remain unstrengthened, posing a significant risk.
A recent earthquake near Eilat, measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale and occurring along the active Syrian-African Rift, concluded without damage. However, a senior seismologist from the Geological Institute, Wetzel, has issued a stark warning about Israel's inadequate preparedness for a much larger seismic event. He noted that the Home Front Command's early warning system, which activates for earthquakes of magnitude 4.5 or higher, functioned correctly during the recent tremor, indicating full synchronization with national warning systems.
Despite the functional early warning system, significant deficiencies persist in Israel's readiness for a major earthquake. A state comptroller's report revealed that 60% of hospitals are not fortified against seismic activity. Furthermore, the urban renewal program, Tama 38, has fallen far short of its goal, with only 3.6% of buildings requiring seismic reinforcement having been strengthened by the report's conclusion. This situation is particularly dire in areas further from central Israel, where economic incentives for developers to undertake such projects are lower.
The comptroller also highlighted a critical gap in insurance coverage for natural disaster damages. Israel's private and public insurance coverage stands at 44%, considerably lower than in countries like New Zealand (77%), the UK (75%), and Belgium (73%).
Additionally, the report identified that 1,124 buildings, representing 93% of those designated for reinforcement, remained unstrengthened in several municipalities, including Beit She'an, Tiberias, Safed, and Kiryat Shmona, as well as the local council of Hazor HaGelilit. A concerning statistic also emerged regarding educational institutions, with approximately 70% of schools identified as needing reinforcement still lacking it. Specifically, 38 out of 54 such schools had not undergone necessary strengthening by the time of the audit.