The 1956 Santorini earthquake and its devastating aftermath

·

The date is July 9, 1956 and Santorini is as beautiful as it has always been with its white and blue adobe buildings perched on the caldera cliffs. The markets are filled with venders eager to sell their fresh produce. To any regular native of Santorini this seems like another day of business and enjoyment.

But then, without warning in the early hours of the morning, disaster struck. Santorini was hit by a 7.5 magnitude earthquake, the largest to ever be seen in Europe in the 20th century. It was followed by a tsunami 25 meters high.

At least 53 people were killed and more than 100 were injured. 35 percent of the houses collapsed and 45 percent suffered major or minor damage. Almost all public buildings were completely destroyed. 

Such devastation led to a huge internal migration of the population of Santorini, mainly to Athens.

Apart from Santorini, the islands of Amorgos (the epicentre of the earthquake), Anafi, Astypalea, Ios, Paros, Naxos, Kalymnos, Leros, Patmos and Lipsi were also severely damaged. A total of 529 houses were destroyed, 1,482 were severely damaged and 1,750 were lightly damaged. 

The quake tested the state machinery, which had not yet recovered from the 1953 major earthquakes in Zakynthos, Cephalonia and Ithaca. 

Prime Minister Konstantinos Karamanlis declared Santorini a state of “large-scale local disaster” and visited the affected area on July 14.

Many countries offered to send aid to relieve the earthquake victims. The only country whose help Greece refused was Great Britain, perhaps because of the Cyprus problem, which was then on the rise with the EOKA uprising.

greek film festival 2025

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Step into the world of mental health with Georgia Cassimatis’ latest book

Greek Australian author and journalist, Georgia Cassimatis, has released a book all about exploring the world of mental health.

GOCNSW Welfare Service to put a spotlight on cyber security awareness

The Greek Orthodox Community of NSW’s (GOCNSW) Welfare Service has organised three Cyber Security Awareness education and training workshops.

Marriage of a Greek woman abroad: What to watch out for

It is during this registration process that numerous problems arise, which are not dealt with immediately but later on.

Athena Competition Greek winners show olive oil diversity

By Lisa Radinovsky from Greek Liquid Gold. At the 10th anniversary edition of the ATHENA International Olive Oil Competition in Chania, Crete, Greece in May, 175 Greek olive oils...

Greece’s island communities face population crisis

The demographic decline in Greece is hitting its islands hard, with Lemnos and Agios Efstratios showing alarming signs of aging populations.

You May Also Like

Greek communities across Australia mourn the loss of the legendary Mikis Theodorakis

Greek communities across Australia are today mourning the loss of the legendary Greek composer, Mikis Theodorakis.

Elon Musk endorses Cypriot MEP Fidias Panayiotou for EU leadership

Elon Musk has endorsed Cypriot MEP and YouTuber Fidias Panayiotou for the European Union presidency in a post on X.

Pavlos Tsakiris wins prestigious EU Young Farmers Prize for 2020

Pavlos Tsakiris from Thessaloniki has been named the winner of this year’s prestigious 'EU Young Farmers Prize.'