Earthquake of strength 6.1 shakes Crete and Santorin - worries grow!

Earthquake of strength 6.1 shakes Crete and Santorin - worries grow!

Kreta, Griechenland - On May 22, 2025, the Greek vacation islands, especially Crete and Santorin, experienced a strong earthquake of the strength 6.1. This important earthquake occurred this morning with the epicenter about 82 kilometers northeast of Heraklion, Crete, at a depth of 68 kilometers. So far, there have been no reports of injured or greater damage. Nevertheless, the Samaria Gorge on Crete was closed as a precaution to avoid possible dangers, although no extraordinary wave movements were found that could indicate a tsunami.

Seismic activity in the region indicates an increased risk. Last week, the residents had already felt a strong quake of the strength of 6.1 south of Kasos, which took place on May 14, 2025. This quake was also felt on the holiday islands of Crete, Rhodes and Kos as well as in distant cities such as Cairo and even in Israel. The Greek earthquake authority OASP, under the direction of the boss Efthymios Lekkas, expressed that these events have not been dealing with the earthquake series around Santorini that has been observed since the end of January 2025. This series marks the first comparable seismicity in the region since 1964, such as seismic activity in Greece

Greece is located in one of the most seismic regions in the world. An average of around 28,000 earthquakes are registered in the country every year. However, this includes only a few that are classified as strongly, as the recent quake on May 22, 2025. The strongest earthquake of the past ten years was in 2018 with a strength of 6.8. The incidents make it clear that earthquakes in this region are a common phenomenon. According to vulkandiscovery , earthquakes with a thickness of 6 or higher in Greece are relatively common, more than 1.5 such events occur on average per year.

In the list of the strongest earthquakes in Greece since 1900, the quake of May 22, 2025 has been in second place, while the strongest earthquake in history in the region was registered with a strength of 7.8 in 1904. These statistical data illustrate the seismic hazard that is exposed to the population.