This past weekend, severe weather wreaked havoc in western Greece, particularly in the regions of Corfu, Preveza, and Ilia, leading to emergency measures due to landslides. In Corfu, rainfall levels reached unprecedented highs, marking the worst in fifty years. This extreme weather not only caused infrastructure damage but also led to road closures in Lesbos for safety reasons amidst the continuing storms, which have transformed the region’s landscape and affected daily life.

In Northern Greece, particularly in Thessaloniki, images showed a dramatic rise in sea levels that resulted in widespread flooding of businesses. The city center, from the Megaron concert hall to Kalamaria, faced inundation with water levels reaching up to forty centimeters. Local business owners were seen using brooms to clear water from their establishments, evidencing the pervasive impact of the storms on the local economy and public services. In addition, concerns grew as a balcony collapsed in the Sykeon area, prompting fears of potential landslides as the soil gave way under the pressure of relentless rainfall.

The overall situation was equally dire in Pieria, where shops in the Olympic Coast area of Katerini were flooded, further showcasing the expansive damage brought on by this severe weather event. The authorities are likely to remain on high alert as cleanup efforts begin and discussions about improving infrastructure resilience to such extreme weather conditions become imperative, particularly as climate change continues to pose a threat to regions like these in Greece.