The distance between the east coast of Cyprus and the epicenter of the earthquake of 7.8 on the Richter scale that was recorded in Turkey is only 400 kilometers. So we also felt it in Cyprus quite strongly.
On February 6, 2023, at 3:17 a.m. the disaster began in Turkey and the shockwaves quickly reached the island as well. It rocked us all and woke many of us up. It felt like a 4.8 and lasted a long time. Then the aftershock of 6.3 degrees was felt and was recorded at 3.28.
So it was a continuous swing. All my stuff hanging on the walls waltzed ”nicely” for more than 10 minutes, but everything stayed in place in the cupboards and on the shelves.
No property damage was recorded on the island, at least not reported, but images have already emerged of swaying chandeliers and pools that have been hit by small waves.
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And to make the night even more gloomy, we also had rain and strong winds.
Earthquakes in Cyprus
The Mediterranean island is “shaken” quite often by earthquakes, but in general, they are of small magnitude. Somewhere at 3-4 degrees on the Richter scale. Most of the ones we feel happen right here on the island or in the sea, a short distance from the shore.
Last year there was a 6.6 earthquake, and it was recorded west of Paphos on January 11, 2022.
The last big earthquake that was recorded was in 1996, on October 9. It was 6.8 and was the highest recorded since 1953 until now.
In 1953, another 6.5 earthquake in Paphos killed 40 people and injured another 100. In addition, it also generated a Tsunami wave.
The biggest earthquake on the island was on May 11, 1222, and would have had a magnitude of 7.5. And this was followed by a small Tsunami wave in the Mediterranean, as it is mentioned on Wikipedia.
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