Residents of Mandra, Nea Peramos, and Megara were confronted with widespread flooding and mud after Storm Byron hit Western Attica. The scenes revived memories of the 2017 floods in Mandra, which had claimed 24 lives. Despite anti-flood works carried out in recent years, the recent rainfall exposed persistent vulnerabilities.
Πλημμύρες στην περιοχή της Μάνδρας από την κακοκαιρία “Byron”, Παρασκευή 5 Δεκεμβρίου 2025. (ΤΑΤΙΑΝΑ ΜΠΟΛΑΡΗ/EUROKINISSI)
Πλημμύρες στην περιοχή της Μάνδρας από την κακοκαιρία “Byron”, Παρασκευή 5 Δεκεμβρίου 2025. (ΤΑΤΙΑΝΑ ΜΠΟΛΑΡΗ/EUROKINISSI)
The Agia Aikaterini stream remains the most critical watercourse in Mandra, channeling mountain runoff at high speed. Videos show that while water reaches the new interventions, it cannot flow effectively afterward, spilling into residential areas when rainfall exceeds certain thresholds.
Professor Efthymis Lekkas, head of the National Observatory of Athens and a disaster management expert, highlighted three key factors causing the renewed floods: prolonged and intense rainfall that erodes soil, sudden high water volume in a short time, where soil and debris are carried by the rain, blocking streams.
Πλημμύρες στην περιοχή της Μάνδρας από την κακοκαιρία “Byron”, Παρασκευή 5 Δεκεμβρίου 2025. (ΤΑΤΙΑΝΑ ΜΠΟΛΑΡΗ/EUROKINISSI)
Πλημμύρες στην περιοχή της Μάνδρας από την κακοκαιρία “Byron”, Παρασκευή 5 Δεκεμβρίου 2025. (ΤΑΤΙΑΝΑ ΜΠΟΛΑΡΗ/EUROKINISSI)
Lekkas also pointed out that many urban avenues, including Michalakopoulou, were built over former riverbeds, increasing flood risk. He emphasized that the Agia Aikaterini stream has been transformed into a roadway in some areas, illustrating how decades of unplanned urban development amplify natural hazards.
Πλημμύρες στην περιοχή της Μάνδρας από την κακοκαιρία “Byron”, Παρασκευή 5 Δεκεμβρίου 2025. (ΤΑΤΙΑΝΑ ΜΠΟΛΑΡΗ/EUROKINISSI)
The flooding demonstrates that even extensive engineering works cannot fully prevent disasters when extreme weather conditions occur, a problem echoed in other European cities with similar urban planning challenges.
