BBC News
One peaceful summer day in Santorini in July 1956, the soil turned to their people.
“I remember our dog and bird behaving strangely. Then the earthquake hit,” 83-year-old Eirini Minrinou recalls, her voice stable but distant, as if trying to understand the memory that he had never really faded. “The house split before closing. Through the crack on the roof, I could see the sky.”
The 7.8-Magnitude Earthquake, which hit between Santorini and the nearby island of Amorgos, destroyed most of the island, and a strong default 12 minutes later ended what was left. Fifty -three people died. The island, then just a quiet fisherman’s village, was a scar and his people fled.
Today, it is much different, renovated in one of the most interesting tourist destinations in Greece – but this week the second mass exodus took place. A subtle shiver that began in June 2024. converted to full -fledged earthquakesSome exceeds 4.0 on the Richter ladder, trembling homes and disturbing residents of the island. Families rushing on air and sea departure are desperately looking for a break as the soil shook once again.
But not everyone runs away. Those who remain depicting a mixture of courage, necessity and deep connection with the land that came to define the locals of this island. They endure sleepless nights, persecuted by memories of the past and scary unknown what is yet to come.
“Earthquake noise, sounds [other people’s] The houses are separated – it is unbearable. Even in my house, it became irresistible, “says Margarita Karamolegkou, a local businesswoman.” I felt tired, day by day, without end in sight … but I didn’t feel fear. I can’t leave my home and can’t leave the people behind. “
This resistance is nothing new. People also withstand social changes – because 3.4 million visited the island last year, according to Mayor Nikos Zorzos – and seismic shifts. Now, as always, they have gathered in solidarity.
“We do our best to support vulnerable,” says Matthaios Fytros, a local volunteer and a merchant. “People with disabilities, the elderly – many fight to bypass, and their homes are hard to come. If a big earthquake guesses, I know exactly where they live, and I will reach them as quickly as possible, along with that firefighters.”
Matthaios and others patrol the island, ensuring that the abandoned property was not robbed and helping anyone in need. “I’m not afraid,” he says with a quiet conviction. “We are proud of our island. I hope everything will succeed and this is difficult to end. We will be happy to bring visitors back with us.”
The state’s response was fast, with measures taken to resolve the crisis. Below gratitude for the Government’s intervention, however, it retains a quiet bitterness. Many islanders remember the year when their cry for better infrastructure and support went unheard of.
“We have been looking for a better port for years, something that would help us manage a growing number of tourists,” says Margarita, her voice that was frustration. “We need help in preserving the identity of the island – its unique environment, seismic and volcanic forces that shape it. We are grateful to tourists, but we also have to protect what Santorini does special.”
Tourism has become the life span of Santorini’s economy. The island contributes to Greece about 2.5%, approximately 5.9 billion euros (4.9 billion pounds) each year.
As the trembling continues, the future of Santorini’s economy remains uncertain. Will his prosperity endure trembling soil? Santorini people take care that the fragility of the island can soon expand beyond the country itself.
“I regret that the development of the island was increasing tourism,” says Eirini, who is temporarily in Athens, not out of fear, but for routine medical tests. “We have damaged the natural environment here. Now, with an earthquake continuation, there is a real risk that we can lose the whole tourist season.”
Scientists may not know when they will stop, but instead of succumbing to fear, some residents have decided to understand the phenomenon, hoping that it will bring them a belief in the face of the unknown.
“I try to think of what’s going on with kindness,” Margarita says thoughtfully. “He feels like something down there. Everything we admire today about Santorini – beauty, character – shaped the volcano and his seismic forces.”
“We are the most beloved island,” says Matthaios, his voice full of pride. “And I believe we are the most beautiful of all islands in Greece. We will get out of this stronger.”
