Amid Santorini earthquakes, National Security Council orders preparation for tsunami
Ministries, emergency bodies, told to get ready for low likelihood of tsunami caused by major quake on Santorini; Israel would have up to 2 hours to prepare in event of disaster
Sue Surkes is The Times of Israel's environment reporter
The National Security Council in the Prime Minister’s Office has instructed government ministries and emergency bodies to prepare for the possibility of a tsunami off Israel’s shore resulting from a big earthquake on the Greek island of Santorini.
Santorini has been rocked by around 2,000 earthquakes in recent days, prompting residents and workers to evacuate to the Greek mainland. Following a powerful 5.2 magnitude quake on Wednesday, the Greek government declared a state of emergency on the island on Thursday.
Israel has a nearly 200-kilometer-long (124-mile) Mediterranean coastline along which are tsunami warning signs pointing to higher ground.
Experts said that in the unlikely event of a major earthquake on Santorini sending tsunami waves to Israel, the country would have up to two hours to get ready.
A summary of an emergency discussion held Wednesday night said, “In light of the distance of the State of Israel from the earthquake zone [approximately 900 kilometers, or 560 miles], the estimated warning time for a tsunami wave from a strong earthquake is up to two hours. Emergency bodies and government ministries are required to prepare for the possibility that the State of Israel may encounter a tsunami wave heading toward it.”
According to the Home Front’s website, a quarter of all known tsunamis were recorded in the Mediterranean Sea, with lethal ones hitting Israel’s beaches in the years 1222, 1303, 1870, and 1908. A small tsunami struck the shores of Jaffa in central Israel in 1953.
