Severe Flooding in Central Greece Leaves Villages Trapped and Damages Infrastructure, Rescue Efforts Underway

Over the weekend, hundreds of people in central Greece were reconnected to electricity as rescue efforts continued in flood-affected areas. The floods, which have already claimed at least 10 lives, have left many people trapped in villages and have caused severe damage to infrastructure.

The fire department has been leading rescue operations, and more than 2,850 people have been rescued so far. However, there are still several people missing, and houses in some areas remain submerged.

The situation is particularly worrying near the city of Larissa, where the Pinios river has overflowed and reached a height of 2.5 meters on the outskirts of the city. In the port city of Volos, the damaged water supply network has become a concern, with the health ministry warning against drinking the water due to the risk of gastroenteritis.

The flooding has also disrupted transportation, with sections of the highway connecting Thessaloniki and Athens being cut off. The storm, named "Daniel," has been described as extreme in terms of the amount of water that has fallen in just 24 hours. This event comes after the devastating wildfires that hit Greece earlier this summer, which resulted in the loss of at least 26 lives. Flooding has also affected neighboring countries, with severe floods in Turkey and Bulgaria resulting in 12 deaths. These recent events highlight the increased risk of heavy precipitation and flooding due to climate change and other factors such as urbanization and land-use planning.