Israel continues efforts to improve homefront preparedness for an earthquake R”L, as many experts including leading seismologists explain a major earthquake is likely in the near future.

Experts recently stated that in a massive earthquake; up to 3,000 people would be killed, 3,800 injured, 4,200 trapped and 80,000 displaced R”L.

The following is an excerpt from remarks from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu at the start of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, 17 Sivan 5777 on the topic.

“As part of our efforts and actions to improve home front emergency preparedness, we are beginning today a national earthquake exercise, called Earthquake 2017.

“So first of all, I hope there will not be an earthquake in 2017. There are enough earthquakes around us in all senses of the word, but we live adjacent to the Syrian-African rift, and an earthquake can hit at any moment. They already have and they undoubtedly will. The more prepared we are, the better we will be able to deal with such an incident and thus reduce harm to life and property.

“I ask the public to follow the exercise instructions. If I had to summarize the approach in the case of an earthquake, in contrast to other scenarios that threaten the home front, the basic rule is: Get out of the houses, get out of the buildings. The safest place is open space.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)