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• Crete Earthquake History |
The culprit was a deep fault lying about 60 miles beneath the surface of the Aegean, north of Crete. Earthquake experts state that such quakes rarely bring aftershocks, so the terra should be "firma" though residents' nerves are a bit on edge. The quake was felt as far south as Egypt and was also felt in Kythira and the Peloponnese in Greece.
Current reports indicate very light damage, few if any injuries, and no deaths.
Different reporting stations assigned substantially different numbers to the intensity of the quake, with estimates ranging from a low of 4.8 to a high of 6.1, though the light damage reported is inconsistent with the usual effects of a 6+ quake.
The ancient Greek god Poseidon, usually associated with the ocean, is also believed to be in charge of earthquakes. When he hquakes. When he causes one, it is usually believed to be in his form of a bull or a horse. Historically, Crete has often suffered from earthquakes, and some Minoan sites were apparently abandoned due to earthquake damage.
The effect on travel is expected to be very minimal. A few shops may have lost some glass-bottled stock, but for the most part the traveler will not be affected.
Yannis Samatas reports that it was the strongest quake he'd ever felt on Crete, and that the shaking lasted for about three minutes. However, the only damages seem to have been minor, and other than losing some knickknacks in his office, everything was fine.
Photo courtesy of Yannis Samatas of Explore Crete.