For 3 weeks Dionysia Kobaiou has been coping with “the anxiousness and stress” of her college students on the Greek island of Amorgos which has felt 1000’s of earthquakes.
She has been educating remotely since Greek authorities shut down all faculties on Amorgos, its extra well-known neighbour Santorini and different close by islands till at the very least till February 21.
Some kids ask her whether or not they need to disguise underneath a mattress after they really feel a tremor.
“It is like in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic,” Kobiaou instructed AFP.
However in 2020-21 “we may keep house and shield ourselves (from the virus) whereas now, at any second, we do not know what would possibly occur,” she added.
Seismic swarm
Between January 26 and February 14, greater than 19,200 quakes had been recorded off the islands within the Cyclades archipelago, in accordance with the College of Athens (EKPA) seismology laboratory.
Amorgos and three different islands are in a state of emergency till March 11.
On Monday, one other 5.1-magnitude undersea quake was recorded off Amorgos.
The seismic swarm has precipitated no casualties or vital harm, and the tremors have lessened in depth and frequency in current days. However they nonetheless mystify scientists.
On the rocky island, over 9 hours by ferry from Piraeus within the winter, the 1,900 everlasting residents have primarily stayed on Amorgos “apart from a number of as a consequence of skilled or well being causes,” acknowledged Mayor Lefteris Karaiskos. Hundreds have fled Santorini.
The island’s cafes and the taverns are closed for winter and, between the whitewashed domed chapels, solely frogs and kittens give a glimpse of life within the sleepy alleys.
Most of the quakes have been too weak to be felt, however nerves had been put to the take a look at by one 5.3-magnitude tremor on February 10, that was felt so far as Athens.
That night, Sotiris was in his kitchen.
“We rushed outdoors as a result of we had been scared!” recounted the person, who selected to not reveal his final identify, as he hauled development supplies in his wheelbarrow.
“However you understand, in Greece, we’re used to earthquakes,” he added.
The tremors have hit the island “repeatedly”, in accordance with Poppi Prasinou as she arrange greens in entrance of her mini-market.
Exhausted
“Persons are beginning to get drained,” famous the mom of two, whereas expressing “reduction” that the tremors have decreased in depth.
As a part of the state of emergency, rescue reinforcements have been dispatched from the mainland.
On the port of Katapola, seated with their thick morning espresso, the elders remembered a 1956 earthquake, measuring between 7.5 and seven.7, adopted by a tsunami with 20-metre-high waves. Amorgos was devastated.
“There was no info or something like that on the time,” recalled 83-year-old Vaggelis Mendrinos. “We had been terrified (…) We do not need to see that once more!”
From the cliffs, a gaggle of firefighters watched the islet of Anydros. Most epicentres are being recorded simply off the uninhabited rocklet.
Amorgos is surrounded by six faults, and seismologists are putting in new sensors to raised perceive the phenomenon.
Within the countryside, the sheep bleat as typical, though shepherds say their herds are extra nervous from continually feeling the bottom shaking.
On the Chozoviotissa Monastery, constructed into the rock on a cliffside, solely the noise made by the quakes barely disturbs the 2 monks and a volunteer who reside in close to seclusion throughout winter.
“If we’ve got to depart, that is one of the best place to depart shortly for heaven,” stated the volunteer Constantin Papakonstantinou with a smile, pointing to the open Aegean Sea beneath the monastery.
One other, much less non secular concern is starting to emerge within the islands that see an annual summer season invasion of vacationers.
Amorgos hosts 100,000 vacationers every year, in accordance with its mayor. “Do not scare individuals away; in any other case, they will not come this summer season!” one resident instructed AFP.
