M6.1 earthquake south of Crete, Greece prompts tsunami warning
A strong earthquake registered by the EMSC as M6.1 hit Crete, Greece, at 22:51 UTC on May 13, 2025 (00:51 local time, May 14) at a depth of 71 km (44 miles). USGS is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 74 km (46 miles).
Image credit: TW/SAM, Google
The epicenter was located 24 km (15 miles) SSE of Fry (population 357), 116 km (72 miles) E of Ierapetra (population 12 355), and 116 km (72 miles) E of Agios (population 11 421), Crete, Greece.
3 000 people are estimated to have felt strong shaking, 3 000 moderate, and 684 000 light.
Greek authorities issued a precautionary tsunami warning for southern coasts, especially Kásos, Karpathos, and parts of southern Crete.
Residents were alerted through emergency systems and advised to stay away from beaches and low-lying coastal areas.
No tsunami has been observed as of the latest reports.
The USGS issued a Green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.
Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake-resistant construction. The predominant vulnerable building types are adobe block and dressed stone/block masonry construction.
Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.
The quake was felt widely across eastern Mediterranean, including in Israel, especially in Tel Aviv, Egypt, Turkey, Lebanon and Jordan.
Despite widespread shaking, no significant damage or injuries have been reported.
The region around Crete is one of the most seismically active zones in Europe, located at the convergent boundary between the African and Eurasian plates.
This event follows months of elevated seismicity across southern Greece and nearby Aegean islands, with over 20 000 quakes recorded earlier in 2025, particularly around Santorini and Amorgos.
Estimated population exposure to earthquake shaking
Selected cities exposed
References:
1 M6.1 earthquake Crete, Greece – EMSC – May 13, 2025
2 M6.0 earthquake Crete, Greece – USGS – May 13, 2025
Teo Blašković founded The Watchers in 2011 and edited it until 2026, covering seismic and volcanic activity, extreme weather, space weather and near-Earth objects. Articles on this page are his archive.
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