Storms and heavy rains flooded many places in Greece. In many places the water reached the roofs of the houses, forcing the residents to save themselves on the roofs. “The water is up to four meters high in some places,” said one resident. In addition, the country’s main highway connection between Athens and Thessaloniki had to be closed for more than 200 kilometers.
In Central Greece it rained and thundered for the fourth day in a row on Thursday. The great plain in the region of Thessaly, the ‘granary’ of Greece, is under water. “The plain of Thessaly is a huge lake,” firefighter spokesman Giannis Artopoios told ERTnews. Meanwhile, the army also uses inflatable boats.
“There is no country!”
About 700,000 people live in the entire region of Thessaly. According to Greek media, almost all of them have been affected by the flood. The inhabitants of Karditsa reported in the Greek media that their village was inaccessible, that the whole plain was under water and that rescuers could not come. “Maybe with helicopters, but where should they land? There is no country!” said a man.
No electricity, no water
Infrastructure has also been badly affected: in many villages and large parts of the cities of Volos, Larisa and Karditsa there is no electricity and no water, reporters reported Thursday morning.
Rescued civilians with inflatable boats
“We have never seen anything like it. We had to go out 5,000 times at night alone to help people,” said fire service spokesman Giorgos Artopoios on Greek radio. “We have received reinforcements from all other regions of Greece,” the spokesman said.
It also rained all night in Athens. However, there was no serious damage here, the broadcaster ERT news reports.
People in the cities of Volos and Larisa and the villages in the region, where it is expected to rain heavily again during the day, had to continue to worry on Thursday. Overall, however, the meteorologists are perfectly clear: the rain should stop by evening.
Collapsed roads and bridges
Then the enormous damage caused by the severe storms should be fully visible for the first time. The mayors of the affected areas spoke to the Greek media about collapsed roads and bridges, cut power connections, but also destroyed houses and businesses. The damage could run into the billions.
According to official information, three people have been killed in the storm so far. A number are still missing, the exact number was not known at first.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
