Santorini Earthquakes Worsen, Leaving Greek Island Deserted

Santorini has been hit by a barrage of earthquakes over the last two weeks, leaving the island virtually deserted.

On Monday night, the Greek island was rocked by a 5.3 magnitude tremor—the largest yet in this recent seismic activity—followed by a 4.8 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday.

Santorini declared a state of emergency last week, forcing the evacuation of many. Currently, at least 13,000 of the island’s 15,000 inhabitants have been forced to leave for safety concerns. 

The University of Athens’ Seismological Laboratory has detected more than 12,800 tremors since January. On Tuesday, the university’s crisis management committee said that a stronger quake could not be ruled out (via AP).

On Monday alone, 109 earthquakes shook the region—13 of which registered above magnitude 4, and two above 5. Tuesday saw 14 earthquakes above magnitude 4, with the highest registering at 4.8.

Seismologists had been optimistic that the quakes were starting to subside; however, following Monday’s tremors, there is concern the seismic activity is intensifying (via BBC).

Viking Star was set to be the first cruise ship to dock at Santorini this season. Viking canceled the stop due to the ongoing earthquakes, instead docking at the port of Souda in Crete early on Monday. 

The line also canceled its upcoming visit scheduled for Feb. 15, replacing it with a stop at Kuşadasi (Ephesus), Turkey.

Santorini is a popular tourism hotspot in the region, seeing approximately 3.4 million tourists annually (Tovima). Cruise is a major driver of the island’s tourism; in 2023, 800 cruise ships brought nearly 1.3 million pax to Santorini.

On Wednesday, the nearby island of Amorgos declared a state of emergency due to the seismic activity.