There have been 22 earthquakes in Italy and the day’s only half over. But none of them have been the devastating temblor predicted in an urban legend to strike Rome on Wednesday.
Seismologists at the National Institute for Geophysics and Vulcanology are spending the day trying to debunk the myth that a major earthquake is due to hit the Eternal City. They say there’s no way to predict a quake and that 22 quakes by noon is perfectly normal for highly seismic Italy.
Despite the extraordinary lengths Italian officials are going to calm nerves, some Romans aren’t taking any chances. An agricultural farm lobby says a survey of farm—hotels around the capital indicate some Romans are leaving town for the day.
