The past two days have seen more than 800 individuals pulled to safety from devastating floods in Greece, regional officials confirmed. Torrential rainfall morphed bustling streets into killing torrents, caused catastrophic damage to structures and bridges, and whole villages found themselves beneath water.
Greece hasn't been the only nation bearing the brunt of the terrible weather, with neighboring Bulgaria and Turkey also being adversely impacted. Tragically, across the three nations a minimum of 14 individuals lost their lives, four of them in Greece.
Greece’s agricultural heartland, Thessaly, endured the most significant impact of this deluge, termed by government spokesperson Pavlos Marinakis as “the biggest flood phenomenon that our country has ever experienced.” The country's port city of Volos, the rugged Pelion regions, alongside the cities of Karditsa and Trikala count among the most affected areas.
This relentless downpour persisted for days, but predictions from Greece’s meteorological service suggest some respite from Thursday afternoon onwards. Rescue operations are currently being launched to help those stranded by the towering floodwaters, surpassing two meters (6.5 feet) in certain areas of the nation.
Residents near Karditsa city were seen swimming for safety as their homes were flooded, according to videos posted by Greek news sources and on various social media platforms. A number of villagers sought refuge on their rooftops - the only portion of their houses not under water – from where they called for support.
Five villages in the vicinity of Karditsa have been totally isolated due to the flooding, and a minimum of six people are unaccounted for, as per Greek civil protection minister Vassilis Kikilias’ statements to reporters on Thursday, “The villages of Proastio, Agia Triada, Plamas, Megala Kalyvia, and Kalogriana are completely cut-off, the water levels are alarmingly high and Herculean efforts are being made to reach and free the residents”.
He stated that rescue operations saved 885 people over the last two days, and progress of the rescue attempts were slowed down by the intensity of the rainstorm.
Rescue teams, comprised of hundreds of personnel including the Greek army, are currently working to evacuate those still stranded by the floods. Helicopters have been dispatched to save those who are unreachable by boat.
Marinakis revealed that Greece's fire service received over 5,000 calls for assistance. He further revealed that Attica, home to Athens the capital city, witnessed nearly three times the average annual rainfall within a 12-hour stretch.
Severe flooding ensues just after a two-week long wildfire ravaged the north of the nation, killing at least 18 people. Although attributing individual disasters directly to climate change requires scientific study, experts are unequivocal that the climate crisis is escalating extreme weather conditions.
