Hundreds Rescued As New Storm Ravages Greece

Greece faced another natural disaster as a new storm, named Elias, battered the country, prompting dramatic rescue efforts to save hundreds of people from flooding. This latest catastrophe comes just weeks after Storm Daniel wreaked havoc, claiming the lives of 17 individuals. The Greek fire service reported that they had conducted more than 250 rescues in the vicinity of the central city of Volos, which had declared a curfew in response to the arrival of Storm Elias. The storm also made landfall on the island of Evia, leading to emergency traffic restrictions in the northern part of the island. In the aftermath of the storm, Volos was left with extensive power outages, and parts of the local hospital were inundated, although it continued to function under challenging conditions. It is anticipated that Elias will gradually subside by Friday. Volos, a city with a population of nearly 140,000, was still grappling with the aftermath of Storm Daniel, which inundated central Greece with catastrophic rainfall three weeks ago. The city had endured over two weeks without access to drinking water earlier this month, and substantial damage to the local utility infrastructure remains unresolved. Storm Daniel's impact was devastating, resulting in 17 fatalities, the destruction of crops, and the loss of tens of thousands of farm animals, severely affecting Greece's agricultural heartland. Agriculture Minister Lefteris Avgenakis reported that cleanup teams had removed more than 180,000 deceased livestock and poultry but were unable to reach over a dozen chicken farms isolated due to impassable roads. The destruction extended to various crops, including cotton, corn, wheat, apples, and kiwis. In response to mounting criticism regarding the coordination between the military and civil protection in the immediate aftermath of the disaster, the government pledged over two billion euros ($2.1 billion) for reconstruction efforts. EU Agriculture Commissioner Janusz Wojciechowski is scheduled to visit the central region of Thessaly on October 5, as announced by Minister Avgenakis, in a demonstration of international support for Greece as it grapples with a series of devastating natural disasters, including both fires and floods.