CNN.com reports about the pre-dawn earthquake that struck central Italy this morning. The Interior Minister said that at least 92 people have been confirmed dead so far from the quake that registered a magnitude of 6.3. Tremors were felt in the capital city of Rome, about 60 miles from where it hit in L’Aquila. It only lasted about 30 seconds, but the 13th century buildings were no match for the scale of the earthquake.

Italy has two geological faultlines that cross the country, making it one of the most earthquake-prone regions in Europe. What’s surprising is this story from Reuters — an Italian scientist claims to have predicted the earthquake several weeks ago and was reported to the authorities for spreading panic. Seismologist Gioacchino Giuliani drove around town in a van with loudspeakers broadcasting a warning of the impending quake.

The head of the National Geophysics Institute dismissed Giuliani’s predictions and anyone who claimed to be able to predict an earthquake with any precision. Giuliani was forced to remove the warnings from the Internet and weeks later his prediction came true.

I see both sides of the argument on this one. You can’t evacuate a town every time there’s seismic activity in an earthquake-prone region. Giuliani’s prediction becomes a cruel reminder of the helplessness that accompanies any natural disaster. You can’t stop it and can’t really predict it. If you sent out mass warnings, it would cause panic and chaos, and if the quake failed to materialize then nobody would pay any attention to subsequent warnings. That leaves you with no room for error and seismology just doesn’t work that way.

The SYSK Nation is thinking of you, Italy. If you’re in the region, reach out and offer some assistance to those in need.

For a better understanding of natural disasters:
How Earthquakes Work
Can humans start an earthquake?
Which trees hold up best during a natural disaster?