Magda Panoutsopoulou
October 10, 2021•Update: October 11, 2021
ATHENS
Hundreds of homes and grocery stores were severely damaged after an overnight storm slammed the island of Evia in Greece.
On Sunday's first ray of light, residents witnessed the extent of the devastation, with roads turning into rivers of mud and several bridges being destroyed.
Traffic has been interrupted, and several areas have been flooded and muddied, according to local media.
The coastline front in Achladia, as well as in Agia Anna, has been devastated, and residents of Kotsikia have seen equipment from their stores and houses float on the shore.
The fire department is on alert with 50 firefighters and 15 vehicles in the area.
Speaking on Open TV, Governor of Central Greece Fanis Spanos said the damage in the area is unprecedented, with over 100 homes, roads, squares, and playgrounds having submerged.
Some residents speaking to local media said they had survived the fire this summer, but are now on the verge of drowning.
The Evia island, particularly in the northeastern part, was hard-hit with a major wildfire blazing for more than 10 days in the summer, turning thousands of hectares of rich forest into ash.
"As always, our priority is human lives," a government spokesman said on the Ant1 news channel on Sunday.
"Everyone understands that flood protection works cannot be completed in less than two months, nevertheless great efforts were made by the state mechanism, the Environment Ministry, the local administration, and the residents to remove the debris from August wildfires and avoid greater damage," he said.
