The 24 June 2026 Venezuela earthquakes

The 32nd Issue of the Newsletter of Environmental, Disasters and Crises Management Strategies (EDCMS) emphasizes on the 24 June 2026 earthquakes that affected the northern part of Venezuela (south America). This report constitutes a synthesis of: (a) field observations collected during the Greek scientific mission in Venezuela; (b) published information obtained from international scientific organizations, governmental agencies, the scientific literature, and other reliable sources; and (c) experience gained from past earthquake disasters.

The newsletter concludes that the Google Earthquake Alerts system functioned as a critical life-safety tool by transforming millions of mobile devices into distributed seismic sensors through their built-in accelerometers. The system rapidly detected P-wave arrivals and issued alerts to 11.4 million users in Venezuela, including 1.4 million users who received the “Take Action” alert, between 5 and 21 seconds before the arrival of destructive S- waves, providing valuable time for protective actions. These earthquakes triggered the largest wave of “information disruption” ever recorded in the country. Four major categories of visual misinformation were identified, primarily aimed at generating user engagement and amplifying public fear and panic.