SHAKEN TO THE CORE

Storm of Earthquakes Prompts Exodus From Greek Island

More than 13,000 of the 15,500 residents of Santorini have left after thousands of tremors.

The popular Greek tourist island of Santorini has experienced thousands of near-constant earthquakes since Jan. 25, prompting more than 13,000 of the island’s 15,500 residents to leave the island, according to The New York Times. The largest temblor, a 5.2-magnitude quake, struck north of the island on Wednesday. Magnitude 5 and 5.3 quakes were felt in Athens on Sunday and Monday, respectively. Vassilis Karastathis, director of the Institute of Geodynamics at the National Observatory of Athens, told the Times he is unsure if the quakes will result in a large earthquake or if the tremors will soon stabilize. He said, “A lot of the seismic energy has been released, but we still can’t rule out a large earthquake.” He says the quakes, most of which have been small, may continue for weeks. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis declared a state of emergency and said on Friday, “We’re preparing for the worst while hoping for the best.” Emergency services are on standby to provide support and evacuate residents if necessary, and some parts of the island have been closed off due to fear of landslides.