Bad weather Athena: Evia at the mercy of natural phenomena

The onslaught of the bad weather «Athena» continues in most of the country, with the most significant problems, however, being located in fire-stricken Evia, Pelion and the Western Peloponnese.

Total destruction in North Evia

Before it could heal from the devastating fires of August, North Evia was dealt a new blow, with the waters of the recent bad weather sweeping everything in its path, since there is no forest left to contain them. O Mayor of Madoudi, George Tsapourniotis, speaking to OPEN on Sunday, spoke of a biblical catastrophe.

In the meantime, the exceptional funding of €20 million for the regions of North Evia affected by the floods announced the State Secretary to the Prime Minister Christos Triantopoulos, who is visiting the affected areas of Ayia Anna.

«The State will stand by the residents of North Evia and for the restoration of the damages. We have already approved an emergency grant of 20 million euros,» said Mr. Triandopoulos, who also stressed that flood protection works are continuing.

Earlier Mr. Triantopoulos from Vasilika and Fisherman's Wharf said: «From the first moment, by order of the Prime Minister, we were in North Evia and in the field with the mayor, local government and officials who are immediately proceeding with clean-ups and the first restorations. The support of the state -of course- and will continue to meet the new needs, while the flood and erosion control works continue.

The Deputy Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, Evangelos Tournas and the Deputy Minister of Rural Development, Simos Kedikoglou, are also in North Evia.

For Image from which refers to «biblical destruction», after the floods, spoke the mayor of Mantoudiou, George Tsapourniotis, speaking to OPEN. Agia Anna up to Koutzikia has been destroyed entirely and right now we're trying to give in circulation in the road network, which has been damaged in many places. The beaches have been devastated. A one-metre wide stream in the area has become a 12-metre wide culvert. The beach of Achladiou has become a vast bed around the 120 metres wide».

He then stressed that «they have flood too many houses, certainly are hundreds, while there are also businesses that have been completely destroyed. After the big fire, this disaster came and tied up,» he noted. Regarding the 4 seniors who were stranded in the area of Agia Anna noted that they are safe and were transported from their homes with machinery of the municipality. At the same time stressed that all night long there were operations with de-rigging residents from flooded homes.

The streams had been cleared but the erosion control work in the forest had not started

For the large disasters spoke in OPEN and the mayor of Istiaiaia - Edipsos, Mr. John Kotzias, who noted that the municipality's services are measuring the damage that has occurred and trying to give access to parts of the road network by removing rocks and mud, but also to settle the streams that overflowed because more rains are expected.

«The damage is very extensive in both Psaropouli and Vasilika, not only to houses but also to roads and water supply networks. It is damage that comes and complements the devastation of the August fires,» he said, adding that Deputy Prime Minister Triandopoulos is on the spot to convey the damage to the Prime Minister.

On the flood control works, he noted that «the rivers and streams had been cleaned, but no erosion control works had been started in the forest. One salvation solution is to create dams in parts of the mountain bed that can hold the water and end the flooding.».