Saturday Night Earthquake Felt In Rehovot: The Big One is Overdue, Experts Say

The quake was felt in Rehovot at around 00:20 AM, Saturday, 24 November 2007. MyRehovot received reports from a number of readers who confirmed that they had felt their houses shake for several seconds. Municipality Emergency Department (Moked service 106) confirmed the Earthquake took place ("as they were notified by the Police Department"), and asked us to call "in half an hour or so" for the update by Rehovot Officials. They had no additional information in 40 minutes, however. One and a half hour after the quake, Moked Rehovot reported its strength measured 4.2 Richter scale, and that they have no information of any damage or casualties.

Just few days earlier, on Tuesday, two earthquakes, measuring 3 and 4.2 on the Richter scale, were felt across Israel. The Geophysical Institute of Israel (GII) reported that the quakes shook the entire country and originated in the northern Dead Sea. According to the Magen David Adom rescue services, there were no reports of injuries or damage (Ynet, 20 Nov. 2007).

"Most Israelis can remember a day when their furniture started to shake, and can also take credit for surviving that day with little difficulty. But very few people are in a position to know firsthand the effects of a truly disastrous earthquake, on a magnitude of seven or higher on the Richter scale, as the last recorded such earthquake in Israel occurred in 1033," adds Jerusalem Post (The Big One Is Due, 18 Nov. 2007)

The strongest recent earthquake to strike Israel took place about three years ago, measuring 5.1 on the Richter scale. A number of people were injured and damage was caused. About a year ago, two moderate quakes were felt in central and southern Israel.

"Major earthquake in Israel – a matter of time," highlights Ynet (20 Nov 2007)

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