Earthquake hits northwestern Israel

A magnitude-3.0 earthquake hit northwestern Israel early Wednesday, with its epicenter located near the city of Tiberias.

The epicenter was at a depth of 9 kilometers. No injuries or damage were caused.

Is Israel ready for the earthquake to come?

Nadav Wetzler, an Israel Geological Survey seismologist, said that Israel is only partly ready for a major earthquake.

An early warning system may help people scramble from buildings before it collapses, but too many of Israel's buildings are vulnerable to falling down. A report by the State Comptroller's office last month said 600,000 buildings in Israel are not strong enough to resist quakes.

At the same time, emergency responders in Israel have been preparing for a major quake for years. The Israeli government formed a commission to coordinate the responses of the different government agencies and ministries. The system for early warning has also been developed.