A coastal road torn open after seismic activity — a warning from beneath. Credit: Canva
A powerful earthquake struck the region between Southern Italy and Greece, sending tremors across multiple countries and sparking a rare tsunami alert. Though no massive waves were recorded, the event was large enough to prompt seismic tensions and a possible tsunami.
What happened?
A magnitude 6+ earthquake hit between Greece and southern Italy, one of the most tectonically active stretches in Europe. It was felt in Athens, Naples, Tirana, and along Turkey’s west coast. While no major tsunami formed, authorities activated tsunami alerts, suspended the ferry routes, and informed people to stay away from the beaches.
Most Read on Euro Weekly News
We do not often speak of tsunamis in Europe because, frankly, that is a Pacific problem. Well, the Mediterranean is a tectonic puzzle along the African plate that is slowly hitting Europe. Greece alone accounts for half of all seismic activities in Europe. And southern Italy is no stranger to these kinds of events.
Now, is there a warning of what’s to come? No, not immediately. The European-Mediterranean Seismic Centre tells us that aftershocks are likely, but no bigger quake is incoming. That said, experts have warned towns with millions of summer tourists that they have minutes to respond if a tsunami forms.
The Mediterranean is often romanticised as timeless and eternal, but under those turquoise waters lies something alive and fractured, tectonic plates locked in slow motion. The quake on May 14th was enormous and it reminds Europe that it’s an ongoing tension, and experts need more information as time passes during the high summer season