September 7, 2023 – 3:05 p.m
The ruins of the collapsed bridge near Varszala in central Greece – Photo: Sakis Mitroulidis/AFP
Hurricane Daniel, which has caused heavy rains and floods in Greece since Monday morning, is slowly receding. Thanks to the Mediterranean Cyclone, a national record for rainfall was set in the city of Zagora, on the country’s Aegean coast, where no less than 745 mm of rain fell in 24 hours, which is 100 mm more than the previous record, which was 644.7. mm of precipitation. that fell on Bali in Kefalonia in September 2020.
Article from educap according to Despite the waning rains, the total rain that fell in Zagora since Monday was 909 mm, more than half the 1,799 mm of rain measured so far this year in three days.
MTI said in its news summary that the coastal city of Fulouche near Zagora and the surrounding villages were flooded by rivers and mountain streams, and electricity and water supplies were cut off for several days. The plain of Thessaly in central Greece has turned into a “huge lake”, according to the description of the Greek fire service, and rescue teams are trying to reach Palamas near the town of Kardika by boat, as the water level has suddenly risen by one and a half to two meters and people are stuck in their homes without any help. Because of the gusty winds, rescue from the air is now out of the question. The situation in Cardesia is also considered critical, after the water level reached four meters in some parts of the city, and many people took refuge on the rooftops.
The critical nature of the situation is characterized by the fact that within 36 hours, a total of 5,000 emergency calls were made to the Hellenic Fire Department, which is unprecedented. Three people died and two are missing in the area. In Turkey and Bulgaria, which neighbors Greece, 11 people have died in recent days due to heavy rains.
In July, Greece still had to contend with scorching heat and fires burning dry vegetation; The fire caused massive destruction on the islands of Corfu and Rhodes, and tens of thousands of people were evacuated from the two islands.
