Severe flooding in northern Greece has intensified, with water levels in the Evros River surpassing critical thresholds and causing widespread destruction, authorities said.

In the Soufli area, water levels rose above the alarm limit of 6.4 meters, reaching as high as 7 meters in some locations, triggering emergency alerts and urgent response measures.

Floodwaters have already breached embankments, inundating more than 150,000 stremmata (37,000 acres) of land and reaching residential yards. Residents were alerted overnight through emergency notifications and rushed to build makeshift barriers using sandbags, preparing to evacuate if conditions worsen.

Local authorities, working alongside residents, have been reinforcing defenses in an effort to prevent water from entering villages. Despite these efforts, the situation remains critical as large volumes of water continue to flow through the region.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited affected areas yesterday afternoon and announced a 30 million euro plan for infrastructure upgrades in the region in the next four years.

Reports estimated that it will take two months for the flooded farmlands to completely drain off.

According to official communication from Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry to Greek authorities, water discharge into the Evros river basin reached 1,600 cubic meters per second, with further increases expected in the following days. The surge affects multiple rivers feeding into the Evros, exacerbating the flooding.