Storm Elena brought torrential rainfall to the Attica region on December 25 and 26 causing severe flooding, sewerage overflows, and traffic disruptions. The worst-hit areas included the port city of Piraeus and the southern suburb of Alimos.
In Alimos, a sewer manhole cover burst on Christmas night and flooded streets with untreated sewage.
Andreas Kondylis, the Mayor of Alimos, criticized the Water and Sewerage Company (EYDAP), calling the situation a “health hazard” and blaming the company for inaction despite repeated warnings.
“At 22:30 LT (20:30 UTC) on Christmas, a manhole cover blew off due to sewer overflow, flooding the road with untreated sewage. This is a decades-old problem that EYDAP continuously studies. I recently sent a letter to the president of EYDAP, warning that the situation is now critical. Last night, the road was closed for seven hours. This issue frequently recurs; the last incident was in August, causing another road closure,” the Mayor stated.
EYDAP denied responsibility claiming the flooding resulted from 7 000 illegal stormwater connections by private parties in the region. The company also announced plans for a relief pipeline with the project study expected to be completed by March 2025.
Heavy rains also caused flooding in several northern (Vilia, Penteli) and southern suburbs (Piraeus, Alimos) of Athens.
The Fire Brigade responded to over 40 calls, pumping out water and removing fallen trees.
In the mountainous regions of Vilia and Penteli, rainfall was heaviest, while Piraeus and Alimos bore the brunt of urban flooding.
The Peace and Friendship Stadium near Piraeus Port was inundated with authorities assessing damages.
In Evia, heavy showers flooded parts of the road network and a river began to swell dangerously. Firefighters rescued a family trapped in a car stuck in the mud.
In central Greece, roads leading to Mount Parnassus saw traffic jams stretching 5 km (3 miles) as holidaymakers struggled to reach the ski resort amidst snowfall.
The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (EMY) issued an emergency weather warning on December 24 forecasting heavy rainfall, strong northeasterly winds, and snowfall in mountainous and semi-mountainous regions.
Torrential rain was predicted for Sporades, Evia, Cyclades, and parts of eastern Thessaly. Heavy snow was expected in mountainous areas and semi-mountainous regions of central and northern Greece. Gusts reaching 70 to 90 km/h (45 to 55 mph) were forecast for Thrace, the northeastern Aegean, and Sporades.
Conditions were expected to improve in most areas by December 27 though strong winds were likely to persist in the Aegean and parts of eastern mainland Greece.
Meteorologists observed that the storm brought much-needed precipitation, replenishing underground water reserves. Snowfall created a “white Christmas” in several mountainous areas benefiting winter tourism and ski resorts.
In Athens, periodic rain and thunderstorms disrupted local traffic. Northern suburbs experienced snowfall while southern suburbs dealt with severe flooding.
Temperatures dropped across the country with frost reported in northern inland regions. Maximum temperatures ranged from 6 to 13 °C (43 to 55 °F) in western and northern Greece and 13 to 16 °C (55 to 61 °F) in other regions.
The national highway linking Athens to the Peloponnese was partially closed because of waterlogging. Coastal regions faced strong winds disrupting ferry services.
Reference:
1 Weather warnings – EMY – December 24, 2024
2 Storm “Elena” Triggers Flooding and Blame Game in Attica – tovima.com – December 27, 2024
Rishika holds a Master’s in International Studies from Stella Maris College, Chennai, India, where she earned a gold medal, and an MCA from the University of Mysore, Karnataka, India. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at the National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India. During her tenure, she contributed as a Junior Writer for Europe Monitor on the Global Politics website and as an Assistant Editor for The World This Week. Her work has also been published in The Hindu newspaper, showing her expertise in global affairs. Rishika is also a recipient of the Women Empowerment Award at the district level in Haryana, India, in 2022.