Parts of central Greece have been flooded for a second time in less than a month as storm “Elias” batters the country with torrential rain and thunderstorms.
The worst affected areas are the city of Volos in Thessaly and northern Evia.
Residents of Volos were forbidden to travel as the storm flooded roads, basements, home and businesses. The downpour is also threatening to raise again the waters of Krafsidonas River to dangerous levels, as it did during the recent ‘Daniel’ storm.
Dozens of people are reportedly trapped in flooded homes or motorists in their cars but rescuers find it hard to approach them. So far 15 motorists and pedestrians have been evacuated from precarious situations.
At Mt. Pilio suburbs of Volos, where the previous storm claimed lives and infrastructure was extensively damaged, the thunderstorm has brought heavy rain and water is running down in torrents.
#Βολος #Μαγνησια #πλημμύρες #Elias pic.twitter.com/IsfLKpuqbe
— slow runner (@antoniouin) September 27, 2023
A statement by the Volos municipality called on residents to observe the police curfew and follow police orders, allowing crews to work without obstruction.
Evia in central Greece is also flooded
The island of Evia was also severely affected on Wednesday. The island’s main road axis, which connects the island’s south and north, has been blocked by a landslide at Derveni in the north, while trees that fell on power lines caused power cuts and water supply problems in several areas.
Πευκί #Ευβοια. #πλημμύρες pic.twitter.com/8puc3LQtpm
— Savvas Karmaniolas (@savvaskarma) September 27, 2023
Fifty firefighters with twenty-eight fire engines alongside personnel from two forest operations units (EMODE) along with one emergency rescue team (EMAK) unit have been facilitating the rescuing of people who were trapped, or helping with the pumping of flood waters.
More landslides were also reported at the villages of Istiea and Pefki, in north Evia, where people were trapped by torrential rainwaters.
A meteorological station at Istiea registered more than 230,000 cubic meters of water per 0.1 hectare (1 stremma) since Wednesday morning.
Eύβοια, το χωριό Καμάρια κοντά στην Ιστιαία…. pic.twitter.com/mDscGe2PXF
— Miyagii (@Miyagii2574471) September 27, 2023
In the village of Mantoudi, water in the streets is over a meter deep, while dangerous debris was carried down into the area from the mountains.
At Psachna village, torrents also endangered residents.
The ‘Elias’ weather front is intense throughout the entire Central Greece Region, with phenomena in Evia being relentlessly intense, Regional Governor Fanis Spanos told Athens-Macedonian News Agency (AMNA).
The storm with hundreds of lightning strikes hit Athens in the early hours of Wednesday.
The new weather front follows the deadly floods that followed Storm Daniel which hit Thessaly earlier in September. At least 17 people are known to have died from the floods while the agricultural production of the region was severely damaged.