Firefighters, backed by the military, continued in Greece on Saturday to help hundreds of residents in villages blocked by floods in Thessaly that have so far killed ten people, according to officials.
“More than 2,850 people have been rescued since the bad weather started,” fire spokesman Yannis Artobios told Mega TV channel.
‘There are many more in the villages around Karditsa, Palamas and Trikala. “They are not missing, they are trapped,” he said, adding that the official number of missing is currently 6.
An AFP journalist noted that several houses are under water in the village of Palamas and emergency services are still working to help those trapped.
Eleni Patoli, 54, who lives in the village of Palamas, said: ‘It’s really hell!’
‘We were left without help or information for hours. “Even though we were facing floods and there was no way to escape, the message came from 112 to evacuate,” he explained to AFP.
Thousands of hectares of crops have been destroyed and many livestock have perished in this primeval plain for the agricultural sector in Greece.
‘We are doomed. More than 1,500 pigs drowned. 70% of our farm has been damaged,’ laments 58-year-old Thomas Kasos.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, who visited the region on Friday, promised swift compensation, while reiterating that it was an ‘unprecedented natural disaster’.
But near Larissa, a few kilometers to the east, the situation remains alarming.
“We are experiencing great difficulties with the Pinios river near the city of Larissa, which has reached a height of 2.5 meters on the outskirts of Larissa.
Unpotable water
On Friday evening, the Civil Defense sent a message to evacuate a district of the city threatened by rising water.
In Volos, water supply is problematic as water supply stations and most of the water supply network were destroyed during the storm.
The Greek Ministry of Health issued a series of recommendations to citizens saying ‘the water is not potable’.
‘Cases of gastroenteritis have appeared, which will increase if residents do not have enough water! Elena Risa, a professor of epidemiology at the Medical University of Athens, urged public TV channel Ertil to distribute at least 2 liters of drinking water to all officials.
Traffic was heavy on Saturday, with the highway between the country’s second city, Thessaloniki, and Athens cut in several places.
An extreme event described by experts in terms of the amount of water falling in a 24-hour period, Storm Daniel hit Magnesia on Monday and Tuesday, particularly its capital, the port city of Volos, and villages. Mount Pelion before reaching areas around Karditsa and Trikala on Wednesday.
The bad weather followed devastating forest fires in Greece this summer that killed at least 26 people.
With global warming, there is more water vapor in the atmosphere (about 7% for each additional degree), increasing the risks of extreme precipitation events, which, combined with other factors such as urbanization, can lead to flooding.
In Turkey and Bulgaria, two countries bordering Greece, a total of 12 people have died due to continuous rains in the last few days.
/ats
“Avid gamer. Social media geek. Proud troublemaker. Thinker. Travel fan. Problem solver.”