Destructive and deadly earthquakes hit Turkey, Syria and the United States in the early morning Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.  

Around 1 a.m., a 7.8 magnitude earthquake, followed by a 7.5 aftershock, came dragging through Syria and Turkey killing and injuring thousands. It has been estimated 41,000 deaths in counting have been tallied according to The Washington Post. This horrific disaster is the deadliest earthquake in Turkey in over 10 years

The first earthquake happened in Gaziantep, Turkey which is around 150 miles from the border between the two countries. Later, a second earthquake which is known to be six miles deep, pounded Turkey’s Kahramanmaras province. 

“It’s going to take a long time to rebuild after the devastation that just happened with these earthquakes,” said substitute Mrs. Diana Guise who taught at Central for 13 years before retiring in 2020. 

Homes and buildings in nearby cities are left in complete rubble with people trapped underneath the debris. Emergency medical units continue to provide aid by finding anybody stuck and wounded. However, it is difficult for the injured citizens to receive any medical attention because of how crowded the hospitals are. 

“Governmental agencies need to be prepared for such natural disasters. We have no control over these types of disasters but we can invest money in assessing our vulnerability, informing citizens and preparing for how to help people in those circumstances,” explained Guise. 

According to the World Health Organization,  it’s estimated that 23 million people are to be affected by this natural disaster. The death toll in both Turkey and Syria continues to rise as emergency responders find more groups and families buried underneath collapsed buildings. 

“I am really sorry for all of the lives affected and I hope that they can all find shelter,” said junior Trevor Ketrick. 

In addition, a 3.8-magnitude earthquake occurred in Buffalo, N.Y. at around 6:15 a.m. the same day, making for one of the strongest earthquakes to hit the area in four decades. However, no deaths, injuries or damage have been reported. 

“We need to be aware about the potential for earthquakes in areas of the United States so that we can monitor and plan for what might happen,” Guise said. 

As Turkey and Syria are trying to recover, aid is being provided by different organizations and countries across the world to help those affected by the tragedy.