Heartbreaking stories out of earthquake-hit Venezuela over recent days provide a humbling message for Jamaicans.

In short, bad as has been our situation since Category Five Hurricane Melissa last October, it pales in comparison to that now facing Venezuelans.

On June 24 twin earthquakes, 39 seconds apart in that South American country’s northern region, close to the capital Caracas on the Caribbean coast, left well in excess of 1,400 people dead, according to reports up to Sunday afternoon.

Thousands are said to be injured while tens of thousands remained missing.

Up to Sunday, rescuers working frantically since the disaster were still finding survivors, including children.

Reports say people, including rescuers who must work with great care given extremely unstable conditions made more complex by continuing aftershocks, have been hearing voices of victims trapped under the rubble.

Obviously, time is now running out.

Jamaica, its neighbours, and the wider world have joined in offering help.

“Jamaica stands ready to support the relief and recovery effort in whatever way it can, and we join the wider Caribbean and international community in offering our assistance,” said Prime Minister Dr Andrew Holness.

We note that countries and organisations best able are rushing rescue teams and supplies to Venezuela.

For Jamaicans, the catastrophe just under 1,000 miles away is a clear reminder that, while we are into a new Atlantic Hurricane season and must prepare for storm threats such as Melissa, we, our Caribbean neighbours, and much of the Americas sit on major earthquake faults.

Indeed, on Sunday a minor quake measuring 3.9 on the Richter scale was felt by many people in Kingston, St Andrew, and St Catherine.

Experts say that every year there are 200 or more minor quakes in the vicinity of Jamaica — many apparently only felt be measuring instruments.

And while the epicentre of last week’s twin quakes in Venezuela may be considered relatively distant, we dare not forget that in 2010 in Haiti, just next door, a magnitude-7.0 quake killed hundreds of thousands of people. Sixteen years later, the effects of that catastrophe still haunt Haiti.

In Jamaica’s case, the 1692 quake, which destroyed Port Royal causing much of that famous pirate city to be swallowed by the sea, comes readily to mind.

Just over 200 years later, there was the 1907 earthquake and resulting fire which devastated Kingston leaving more than 1,000 people dead.

Then, in 1957, there was loss of life and considerable damage in Montego Bay and wider western Jamaica from a major tremor.

And many Jamaicans remember January 1993 when widespread panic and damage flowed from a quake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale.

In other words, even as we do whatever is necessary in the event of another calamitous storm in this new hurricane season, we must not forget or ignore the threat of earthquakes.

In workplaces, public spaces, at home, everywhere, earthquake drills should be a frequent activity with people putting into practice required safety measures. And while schools are now entering the long summer holidays, on resumption, they too should be required to practise earthquake preparedness exercises with rigour and consistency.

We can’t prevent natural disasters, but we must all do the best we can: We must prepare for the worst.