For some, only the chandelier shook, while for others the ground moved as well: even experts cannot predict how long the aftershocks will last and how strong they will be.
The ground beneath us has moved several times in the past few days, one earthquake after another in Békés county. First, on August 19, the earth shook near the settlement of Szarvas with a magnitude of 4.1, which was followed by several noticeable aftershocks. Then, at dawn on August 20, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.1 struck again.
The news and situation reports about this quickly spread on social media, some people had problems with their chimneys, others reported that the tiles fell from the roof, the wall cracked, the chandelier swayed or the heavy flower pot moved from its place.
It was terrifying, a rumble then a thump and it felt like electricity was running through me
- a reader recalled the experiences, and according to someone, the earthquake could be compared to a distant rumble. - First at 3:53 I felt the bed move under me, then at 5 o'clock we heard a rumble again, as if the sky had thundered, and then the house tipped over again - said a resident of Szarvas.
According to seismologists, there is nothing strange in the fact that there are earthquakes of this magnitude in our country, but even according to them, their frequency is unusual. Although they expected smaller aftershocks to come, the early morning event was of the same size as the double quakes that preceded it.
- Based on our experience, the size and frequency of aftershocks decrease rapidly over time, but the morning event overrides this. We hope that there will be no major earthquakes in the region, but we cannot accurately predict the events of the next days and weeks, they warned. They quickly calmed everyone down:
Fortunately, the seismicity of our country is moderate, so there is absolutely no need to fear a disaster like the serious events in Turkey. The risk is significantly lower in our country, however, based on the statistical analysis of known domestic earthquakes, earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5 can occur every forty to fifty years, which can also cause significant damage to buildings.
- The driving force behind earthquakes in our country is the fact that the Adriatic plate moves in a northerly direction, while also rotating counter-clockwise. As a result, the two larger structural units in the Carpathian basin, the Alcapa and the Tisza-Dacia units, are constantly being pressed against the stable European platform and accumulating tension in them - recalled ELKH FI Kövesligethy Radó Seismology Observatory in its post.
However, according to the researchers, it is worth preparing for these events in advance to avoid personal injuries.
Let's prepare a few basic things that may be needed in the event of a power outage: flashlight, extra batteries, candle, first aid kit. Let's examine whether we keep our most important things in a safe, easily accessible place so that we can find them immediately if needed.
Let's also look through our home to see if there is a safe place, a corner, where objects cannot fall on us during an earthquake, preferably away from cupboards with shelves, porcelain, chandeliers, and windows. In order to protect movables, it is worth securing and fixing objects that easily fall or tip over, such as the television.
What to do in case of an earthquake? First and foremost is to take cover.
– The earthquake is never the biggest danger, but the injuries caused by falling objects due to the earthquake. The most important thing is to avoid head injuries, hide under a table or desk. It is at least as important to stay away from windows: if an earthquake occurs at night, while you are sleeping, stay in bed and protect your head with a pillow - lists ELKH FI Kövesligethy Radó Seismology Observatory, highlighting that we should avoid elevators and elevators, because they may stop in the event of a power failure.
During an earthquake, it is safer to stay inside the building, most injuries occur during escape. If the shaking stops, we leave the building by the shortest route.
Even after the earthquake, there are some good tips that should be followed: take care of any injured people, call 112, and if you smell gas or one of the sensors in the apartment goes off, turn off the gas in the property. If you see sparks or damaged wires, turn off the electricity to the apartment. Do not go back into the building under any circumstances if it is damaged.
- The fact that an earthquake of some size is expected statistically every X years does not mean that it legally happens every X years, but sometimes more often, sometimes less often. Since the Berhid earthquake of magnitude 4.9 in 1985, the following earthquakes of magnitude 4 or greater have occurred:
January 27, 1989, magnitude 4.4; Bérbaltávár
November 2006. 23, 4.5; Beregsurány
December 31, 2006, 4.1; Gyomrő
January 29, 2011, 4.5; Lioness
April 22, 2013, 4.8; Fierce
March 7, 2019, 4.0; Goldsmith's shop
August 11, 2019, 4.1; Tank
– So we can see that there was a case, considering the entire country, that 17 years passed between two M>4 earthquakes. At the moment, we can say that four years ago an earthquake of a similar magnitude occurred in the Tenk area - responded Bálint Süle, head of the National Seismological Network, to Időkép.hu's question.
