1953 Ionian earthquake

The earthquake of 1953 occurred on August 15, 1953 in the Ionian islands of Kefalonia, Zakynthos and Ithaca. It had a magnitude of 7.2 MW.

Chronology of the quake

Kefalonia is located between the Eurasian and the African plate. Four large earthquakes studied the island home in the modern era.

Already on August 8, 1953, gave a weaker earthquake, three more shocks on the 9th, 11th and 12th of August before the main quake on August 15, 1953. This occurred at 11:24 local time clock and demanded despite the complete destruction of the islands only 476 deaths and 2,500 injured. The coastline had changed after the earthquake, broken gas lines led to fires. The north of the island of Kefalonia around the village of Fiskardo had suffered only a few losses due to the rocky soil, generally remained intact castles and citadels, as many churches.

Assistance

After sending out the SOS call for help came as first aid two ships of the Israeli Navy, followed by the USS Salem ( CA -139 ) as the first American ship and the HMS Forth was the first British ship that had come in 12 hours of Malta, and the HMS Daring.

The Greek government built for each aggrieved family a small house, change requests could be accounted for by own resources of the residents. Haile Selassie and the Church of Sweden funded the reconstruction of the Hospital of Lixouri. The city of Paris took over the reconstruction of the picturesque village of Assos. The shipowner Andreas Vergotis financed the reconstruction of his village Kourkoumelata.

Aid from abroad provided the United States, Britain, France, Israel, Sweden and Norway.

Follow

The once architectural and cultural heritage very rich islands lost nearly all the historical buildings. Images after the cleanup show itself in major cities only scattered single standing houses. What to goods still could be salvaged, was frequently destroyed by fires, this was especially true of museums, libraries and archives. Thus, the loss of central archive of Zakynthos for local history has placed great obstacles.

As a result of the earthquake, there was a depopulation of the islands. 100,000 inhabitants left immediately afterwards alone Kefalonia, there were 25,000 mostly elderly residents back. Citizens from poorer parts of Greece moved to the islands and the demographics changed significantly.

After the quake strict building laws were enacted that are designed to prevent at similar quake damage. At the same time the beginning of the construction of multi-storey building was prohibited, which under certain conditions is now possible again. Initially simpler residential and administrative buildings were built, historic buildings, if they were still standing were mostly saved. Relatively late, since the late 1970s began the faithful reconstruction or reconstruction of numerous historic buildings by public bodies, but also by private individuals. Through these buildings to local images show much more complete than a few decades ago.

Was processed Literary the complete destruction of the town of Lixouri in Kay Cicellis novel " Death of a city ".