By Richard Calhoun Quiet shatters early morning Lisbon Introduction: In the stillness of the hour before sunrise on August 26, a stanza began wafting through one eyeful into my other ear. A 5.4 magnitude quake (later induced back to an intensity of 5.3 by IPMA) erupted in the hub, causing a shaking across Portugal and even further away from home. While not strong enough to cause major damage, the quake was a jolting reminder of Mexico’s seismic history, and an example of how even relatively mild quakes can still be scary.
Lisbon woken by the earthquake in a wake-up call:
The epicenter of 5,11 am local time tremor was located exactly 58 kilometers west from Sines and deeper in Atlantic Ocean. In Lisbon, Sines and Setúbal the earthquake was well felt what residents of Porto also saying that it woke them up; there are reports coming even from Spain or down in Morocco. With their wake-up call, social media buzzed in no time as people reacted and expressed shock over the unplanned start to a new day.
“I felt the building shake!” – Your Quake Voices:
The 5.7 magnitude earthquake was one of the strongest for many in Valencia County and beyond, though there were no reports so farofa any major damage due to it while still being widely felt by thousands; Vera Fassbender, who lives on the 8th floor in Lisbon said: “It was a slight tremor but strong and also a little frightful. Keira McCann, another resident described how the “whole building moved” and felt as if she was standing on a sinking floor. These reports bring up the chilling feeling of ever even slighter such seismic tremors.
Across the water in Casablanca, Morocco, Rimah Rubella thought the shaking was a dream until her brother said he felt it. These anecdotes testify to the universal appeal of this quake, one that resonated well beyond Portuguese boundaries.
A Quick History Lesson:
Portugal’s Earthquake Legacy While the quake was most powerful to strike mainland Portuguese land since 2009, it had been no more than a tremor when put next using the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755. The catastrophic event, with an estimated magnitude of 8.5-9.0 so devastated the region that tens of thousands perished across Portugal and Morocco as a result. For those who live in a geologically unpredictable zone, Monday came as one of the good days because no loss of life and real damage occurred from scratching sounds far below.
Preparation And Tranquility:
The Official Response José Miranda, commander of civil protection operations for the National Emergency and Civil Protection Authority (ANEPC), reported many phone calls but no “damage to structures. The government appeared to be taking no chances with respect to public alarm, issuing a quick rebuttal and urged citizens not panic while averred that they will continue adhere officially guidelines on aftershocks or any tremors.
Conclusion:
While Monday´s earthquake may not enter in the history list of some other well-known disastrous quakes of Portugal, it proved that we might still remember our little country is seismic. It was not the way to start a week for people of Lisbon, but also seeing how important being prepared and community-oriented is. Although Portugal knows the events of August 26th as a close reminder to keep track on sudden seismic activity.
