Climate Crisis Min. Kikilias heads coordinating meeting in Lamia as storm moves closer

The thunderstorm weather front called ‘Elias’ is moving south past the region of Thessaly to central Greece according to meteorologists, Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Minister Vassilis Kikilias said on Tuesday from Lamia.

Kikilias has been in Thessaly since Sunday afternoon, he added, due to the severe destruction left behind by the previous storm ‘Daniel’, and said he had called for a coordination of operations meeting in Lamia, Central Greece, with the regional governor and all Central Greece mayors. The meeting was also attended by the Fire Brigade, Armed Forces, Hellenic Police, and local government officials.

Kikilias said concern was focused on preventative actions for the overflowing of Sperchios River of Central Greece that empties at the Malian Gulf, west of Evia island, as the region and Lamia in particular began preparing for torrential rain forecast for Tuesday night.

In the meeting it was underlined that Fthiotis prefecture is expected to bear the brunt of the ‘Elias’ storm, with heavy rain and flooding of the river.

Some residents of the village Komma who live near the banks of Sperchios were evacuated preventatively, while the entire village is on alert for full evacuation during the night if needed.

Although it did not rain in Lamia and its surrounding areas during the day, meteorologists have forecast heavy rain after 21:00. The village of Makrakomi saw a lot of rain very early on Tuesday morning.

Schools in the municipalities of Lamia, Makrakomi, Domokos and Stylida will remain shut through Wednesday for preventative reasons, and classes will be held online.

Meanwhile, housing support and replacement of household appliances funding continued in Thessaly and Central Greece that flooded this month, the Climate Crisis and Civil Protection ministry said in a statement. In addition, inspections of homes continued. So far, 17,453 homes have been inspected by civil engineers.

In a separate statement, the Armed Forces said that all standby personnel were on alert for the Elias storm in Thessaly, in coordination with Civil Protection. Some 778 personnel are distributed in areas of Thessaly for help, while also stationed in the area are several machinery and buses, collection vehicles, pumps and generators, and health services vehicles.