The storm damage in the fall will cost the Greek economy up to five billion euros.
Wildfires raged on the Greek islands in midsummer, autumn storm Daniel brought another kind of destruction to mainland Greece. At least 16 people were killed in storm-related accidents and extensive damage was caused to infrastructure. At the moment, the Elias storm is shaking the central parts of Greece.
In the important agricultural area of Thessaly in central Greece, the damage caused by the floods caused by heavy rains is only visible after the water recedes. Now the continuous stormy weather is partly delaying the repair work. The British broadcasting company BBC writes about it, among others.
A fifth of the cotton crop destroyed
The spectrum of damage is large, from orchards and olive groves to chickens and cotton fields. An estimated fifth of Greece’s cotton crop is gone.
An estimated 200,000 farm animals, especially poultry, have died in the Thessaly region due to the storms.
The rains have caused moisture damage to both residential buildings and production facilities. In Vólos, for example, the water rose exceptionally high.
– We left the house and followed the situation. When the water rose up to the balcony, the house was destroyed, describes a collector of soaked chattels Anthoula Pappa In an interview with the BBC. He lives in a tent with his family.
The government promised help to flood victims
Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis has promised quick help to people who have lost their incomes and homes. The flood water also damaged the equipment needed on farms and nurseries. Power lines have been cut, engines soaked and irrigation systems damaged.
Thessaly is called the “breadbasket” of Greece. A fifth of the cultivated land of Greece is located in Thessaly. The region is also important for agricultural exports. For example, cotton is mainly delivered abroad.
According to local producers, the plants can be replanted and harvested next year, but raising livestock takes longer. The destruction also affects food production. For example, the price of mutton and goat’s milk is rising.
The fear is that large damages will force residents to move en masse and the plantations will have to be abandoned once and for all.