By LaQuanda McNeil
Staff Writer
Hurricanes, flooding, and monsoons are not the only natural disasters to ravage the world in 2017.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit the border between Iraq and Iran Sunday Nov. 12, leaving more than 400 dead and at least 7,000 injured, according to the British Broadcast Service.
“The earthquake hit around 9:21 a.m. local time about 19 miles southwest of Halabja, near the northeastern border with Iran,” the US Geological Survey said, and tremors stretched to Turkey, Israel, and Kuwait.
It was the deadliest quake of 2017, according to the BBC. Most of the deaths were reported from the Kermanshah province region of Iran.
It has been reported that some villages lost their telecommunications systems and power. Rescuers worked all night to search for people stuck under damaged buildings affected by the earthquake.
Mexico was also hit with an earthquake in September. The 7.1 magnitude earthquake left 216 people dead.
Does this mean that California may face a big earth quake soon?
“Scientists say it’s possible for Southern California to be hit by a magnitude 8.2 earthquake,” according to the Los Angeles Times. “Such a quake would be far more destructive to the Los Angeles area because the San Andreas fault runs very close to and underneath densely populated areas.”
An earthquake can strike at any time. Always have an earthquake kit prepared for yourself and your family.
Keep yourself and your family safe by visiting FEMA.gov for some tips on how to prepare yourself and your family for earthquakes and other natural disasters.
