Iconic Greek holiday island should prepare for possible tsunami, seismologist warns

A Greek holiday island is at risk of tsunami, according to an expert (Picture: Shutterstock / Georgios Tsichlis) A few years ago, I was sipping wine at a restaurant in Rethymno, a historic coastal city in northern Crete. The atmosphere was relaxed, the weather was great, and the people were friendly. Looking back, it’s hard to picture this Greek island looking any different than it did that day. However, a leading Greek seismologist has just warned residents and tourists that Rethymno should brace itself for a possible tsunami. And, that it would be wise to put serious evacuation plans into place. Efthymios Lekkas, a professor of dynamic tectonics, applied geology and natural disaster management, raised concerns at a recent conference in the city. Lekkas, who works at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens and is president of Greece’s Earthquake Planning and Protection Organisation (OASP), stated that ‘Rethymno must be prepared for a tsunami.’ Two areas of Rethymno would be particularly difficult to evacuate, a new report states (Picture: Shutterstock / Georgios Tsichlis) The professor backed up the claim with findings from an updated seismic risk assessment conducted by his research team, which stated that the threat has been ‘scientifically calculated.’ During the conference, Lekkas noted that, should a tsunami hit, two areas of the city would face significant evacuation difficulties. The first is the eastern part of the city, where a combination of densely built hotels, low-lying terrain, and the local road network could obstruct people getting to safety. The other is the Old Town, due to its labyrinth of old narrow streets. However, Lekkas stressed that seismic activity in Rethymno would not be comparable to more serious events in Japan, Indonesia and Chile. He was specifically referring to the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster and the tragic tsunami that struck Japan in 2011. Lekkas said that a tsunami in Crete wouldn’t be on the same level…