In just weeks after the storm, Greece hit by several months of rain in a day
Storm Elias dumped several months-worth of rain in less than a day as it swept across Greece on Wednesday, just weeks after Storm Daniel killed 17 people in the southern European nation.
Villages were flooded, roads inundated and schools forced to close in several municipalities as Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis mobilized state emergency services and military personnel to boost defenses in areas including the northern Thessaly region.
The Greek fire service said it had moved more than 3,000 people to safer locations since Tuesday as the weather deteriorated.
On Wednesday night, the European Severe Weather Database (ESWD) announced that months-worth of rain had fallen within the preceding 24 hours – and more is on the way, with the storm expected to continue at least through Thursday with heavy rain, hail, and thunder, according to Greece’s meteorological service.
The storm is mainly affecting central Greece, a region still reeling from the aftermath of Daniel, which hit the country in early September, tearing down critical infrastructure, turning villages into lakes, and killing at least 17 people.
The port city of Volos in Thessaly is among those to have been hit hard by both storms. During Daniel, Volos experienced more than 10 times its average September rainfall, while Elias has flooded roads near the port and Greek police have banned traffic circulation in the city as a precaution.
According to ESWD and the World Meteorological Organization, Volos saw 298 mm (11.7 inches) of rainfall in a 14-hour period from Elias, more than eight times the city’s September average.
0 Comment