Authorities in western Greece have placed several municipalities on heightened alert due to growing flood risks linked to the rising water levels of the Alfeios River, local officials said.
Since midday Monday, municipalities in the regional unit of Ilia have activated increased readiness protocols following a civil protection warning about a dangerous rise in the river’s level. Officials are closely monitoring the situation as water flowing from upstream areas continues to swell the river, particularly downstream from a major tributary.
A civil protection team from the municipality of Pyrgos carried out an on-site inspection at a bridge over the Alfeios River near a nearby settlement to assess conditions and implement preventive actions aimed at avoiding an overflow.
Kiki Dionysopoulou, head of civil protection for the Pyrgos municipality, said crews made a small but immediate intervention to ensure the water remains within the riverbed.
“We made a minor intervention so we can be confident that by morning the river will not overflow into the drainage channels and flood the area,” she said, adding that authorities will decide on further steps after reassessing conditions.
Officials plan to reevaluate the situation as forecasts indicate another round of severe weather expected Thursday. Neighboring municipalities also remain on alert.
Past flooding in the area, particularly severe problems recorded in 2012, has heightened concern among local services. Dionysopoulou said authorities acted out of caution based on previous experience, taking temporary measures along the riverbank to prevent water from spilling into nearby ditches.
Monitoring will continue in the coming days, with additional measures to be determined based on the river’s level and weather conditions, as authorities aim to protect communities located near the river.
