Relief and Recovery Efforts Underway as Central Greece Grapples With Dual Storm Impact
Central Greece, a region recently battered by consecutive powerful storms, witnessed a glimmer of respite as bad weather conditions eased on Friday. Widespread flooding and infrastructure damage had marred the farming region in the wake of two major storms within a month.
Divers successfully located the body of a missing pilot, a day after a helicopter, braving the adverse weather, tragically crashed into the sea.
In the storm-affected city of Volos, municipal workers sprang into action, distributing bottled water to residents who continued to grapple with power and water outages in some districts for a third consecutive day. Meanwhile, dedicated rescue crews operated excavators, diligently clearing roads obstructed by debris, restoring access to remote areas.
The dual impact of the two storms, named Daniel and Elias, struck central Greece and the island of Evia over a span of three weeks in September. The initial storm, Daniel, claimed the lives of 16 people, inflicted severe damage, and caused a significant loss of farm animals. The region bore the brunt of damaged highways, secondary roads, and railway networks.
In Volos, Georgia Sirtarioti, a 76-year-old resident, stood in the doorway of her damaged home, her emotions palpable, as her son Apostolis diligently swept away the mud for the second time. She expressed her distress, stating, “It would have been better if the (storm) had taken me instead and gotten this over with.”
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On September 29, 2023, a woman is seen navigating the storm-ravaged streets of Volos, Greece, where the city still grapples with power and water disruptions following the recent storms.
Despite an improving weather outlook on Friday, the risk of further flooding looms large in various central cities and towns, with riverbanks susceptible to rising water levels, as per authorities’ warnings.
The Greek government disclosed that the cumulative damage exceeded $2.1 billion even before the latest storm hit. In response, it has pledged emergency assistance for affected residents and has sought financial support from the European Union.
Confronting the consequences of climate change, including intensifying wildfires in summer and subsequent floods in autumn and winter, has become a national priority, as affirmed by the conservative government.
Nevertheless, environmental advocacy groups assert that the government is yet to scale back offshore natural gas exploration and the expansion of gas infrastructure. Greenpeace and the World Wide Fund for Nature recently sent a legal notice to the Greek energy ministry, seeking the cancellation of a proposed liquefied natural gas plant in a remote northeast region, which had recently endured devastating wildfires.