Amorgos Endures Persistent Earthquake Swarms Amidst Uncertainty
At 4:54 AM on Tuesday morning, a new earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale jolted the small island of Amorgos, rousing the locals from their sleep. In the southern village of Arkesini, where the epicenter was located, the residents have grown weary of the ongoing seismic activity.
Since January 26th, over 18,500 earthquakes have struck the Cyclades, including Santorini, Ios, and Amorgos, according to the University of Athens’ seismology laboratory. These islands remain under a state of emergency.
While the constant vibrations in the lithosphere have caused minor material damage, local authorities and the Red Cross remain on high alert. Stefanos, a plumber living in Amorgos, has taken precautionary measures in case of an escalation. "My car, parked right outside the house, is stocked with essential supplies, and we don’t lock the door at night so we can evacuate quickly. I’ve also placed large sandbags in front of my house to prevent potential tsunamis."
His children’s school has been closed for three weeks, and they have been attending classes on the village square, where local firefighters teach them about earthquake preparedness and first aid. However, it is the uncertainty that weighs heavily on their minds the most.
"Some days, the winds are so strong that we don’t feel the aftershocks, but they are always there, and at night, they remind us," says Maria, Stefanos’ wife. "The problem is that it’s a daily occurrence, and we don’t know when it will end."
Despite the frequent earthquakes, less than ten of the island’s 1900 residents, including 250 children, have left. This stands in contrast to the mass evacuations that occurred in Santorini during the early stages of the seismic swarm. Amorgos has received psychological support, but the inhabitants’ spirits have not faltered significantly.
The island’s elders recall the devastating earthquake of 1956, which registered a magnitude of over 7.5, unleashed 20-meter-high waves, and claimed dozens of lives. "Today’s quakes are not comparable," says 88-year-old Tassos. "We are struggling to understand the media’s panic," says Irini Giannakopoulou, manager of the Aigiali Hotel in the north of the island. "Yes, there are tremors day and night, but they are not serious!" She claims to have received no cancellations and, on the contrary, senses an outpouring of support for her island.
"I’ve never had so many calls from concerned clients around the world. It’s heartwarming. I’m expecting a group of twenty yoga enthusiasts from the United States tomorrow. They called me just three days ago to check if everything was okay. I told them it was, and that was it. There are even French tourists enjoying their school break at the moment."
Christos Panaretou, from the travel agency Yalos Tours, confirms this trend. "We are seeing strong interest in the Cyclades for the summer season, and the cruise ships that stop in Santorini or Amorgos have planned alternative routes, but they haven’t had to use them yet because the situation isn’t that alarming."
In the meantime, experts are divided on the cause of this prolonged seismic activity. Most seismologists attribute it to tectonic plate movement, while others believe that an underwater volcano is awakening. However, none can fully explain the frequency of the earthquakes or predict when they will cease.
