Flooding and Landslides Hit Western Greece, Epirus

The municipality of Agrinio – in western Aetoakarnania prefecture – on Tuesday warned local residents of flooding from releases in the Acheloos River watershed, following alerts by the Public Power Corp. (PPC) and police. A emergency alert, via SMS, was sent due to a controlled release of waters from the nearby Stratos Dam, with authorities urging people to avoid riverine areas.

Continued rainfall throughout the western seaboard of mainland Greece has caused widespread damage, including impassable roads, landslides and cut-off villages.

In the village of Mazaraki, in Ilia (Elis) prefecture, a major landslide blocked the village’s entrance, forcing residents to carry children across muddy fields to reach a school and return home amid continuing storms.

The village of Mazaraki, in Ilia prefecture, southwest Greece.

Much of lowland western Greece and Epirus are experiencing flooding, while several areas have been placed in a state of emergency.

Mazaraki and five other settlements along a local stream remained cut off due to a landslide on the main road.

The forecast for Wednesday calls for more precipitation, thunderstorms and strong winds, with residents are advised to exercise extreme caution.

Patras seafront flooded

The inclement weather has caused more problems in western port city of Patras, where authorities decided to close both lanes of traffic on a coastal boulevard due to sea water on the roadway, caused by rainfall and gusty winds.

The waters also spread into the side streets.