Santorini: “Anhydrus” the island that drags the dance of Richters – The shop, owners and earthquake of ’56

A “puck” on the map of the Greek territory is located in the last few hours in the microscope of scientists who follow their evolution in . It is the island Anhydros located just above the epicenter of the earthquakes in Santorini and who have put scientists on alert, while causing concern to the inhabitants of Cyclades. CORVERSE A few 24 hours ago Anhydrus or Amorgosopoula was a small uninhabited island of the southeastern Cyclades, which was unknown to almost all the Greek population. However, since last Friday (31.01.25), when Richters began to become a permanent “resident” of Santorini and Amorgos, Anhydrus became a first topic of discussion. The island of 1,200 acres is located in the sea area between Santorini, Amorgos, Anafi and Astypalea. Two people once lived there, while administratively belonging to the local community of Arkesine, Amorgos municipality. CORVERSE Since 1860 the island has been privately owned, while some years ago its owners tried to sell it, but this did not prosper. Owners of the island are the family of businessman Antonis Vekris, who also comes from the beautiful Amorgos. “This island is our property and the entire focus of the earthquake is under it. This small island is between Santorini and Amorgos, which is exactly 10 miles from Amorgos and 17 from Santorini. My people who are in Amorgos, they move and listen to a hum, that scares them more, the buzz. The frequency is great but when it’s under 4 Richter, they don’t get it much,” Antonis Vekris says and continuing, he adds: “In the 1956 earthquake, because I remember him, I was 9 years old. The sea left the harbor and the boats came out on land and the fish were sprawling. Amorgos had no victim, because it is a rocky island and the houses are built on solid soil, so there was no problem. A couple of old walls had been demolished from all over Amorgos. I think it’s either going to weaken all this or all of these are attentions and there’s going to be some big earthquake, which they say will be no more than six Richter. Right now it’s the cauldron, underneath it’s still boiling. The huge fault that exists is causing concern because if the whole thing goes off, we’re screwed…”. At some point, the island had gone out for sale, with rumors then saying that a businessman was interested, information that the owners had denied from the first moment. “Our island at some point had been told to give it up, but eventually we didn’t sell it. It’s been in our possession since 1800. Then with the great earthquake of 1956 neither the island was affected nor Amorgos. Our island is 1,200 acres, but I stress that we are not afraid,” Antonis Vekris says and adds: “We’re not too afraid in Amorgos because 7.7 Richter to be done, we’ve been tested. The hotels are even more solid because they were built with the earthquake regulation and we have put concrete and iron in our homes. We are not afraid here in Amorgos and that is what I want to hear.”