Storm weather Daniel reached Greek capital Athens with a heavy downpour on Wednesday afternoon that lasted no longer than 15 minutes, however, they were enough to flood many streets in downtown and the suburbs, mostly main streets.
Ποτάμια οι δρόμοι στο κέντρο της Αθήνας #ΚΑΚΟΚΑΙΡΙΑ_DANIEL #κακοκαιρια #ΑΘΗΝΑ #Αττικη pic.twitter.com/3EPj77x5Z3
— iEidiseis.gr (@iEidiseisGR) September 6, 2023
Τhe rainfall caused serious problems and people were at risk to even pay with their life as the usual warning message by the Civil Protection was sent 2.5-3 hours after the rain!
shocking videos from Vassilisis Sofias Avenue in front of Evaggelismos hospital:
Τέτοια τάξη,τέτοια αλφαδιά, δεν την έχω δει.
Ευαγγελισμός pic.twitter.com/gwXI9wavPU— Antonis (@antonis_pit) September 6, 2023
Τώρα στην Αθήνα #κακοκαιρια pic.twitter.com/Uvk17121sJ
— Dimitris Keramidas (@dimkeramidas) September 6, 2023
Many Athenians wonder whether the <112> message was sent at 20:30 by mistake as it was the case on Tuesday, or another downpour will come later at night.
⚠️ Ενεργοποίηση 1️⃣1️⃣2️⃣
🆘 Σε εξέλιξη ισχυρές βροχές και καταιγίδες στην περιοχή της #Αττικής
‼️ Περιορίστε τις μετακινήσεις κατά τη διάρκεια των φαινομένων στις απολύτως απαραίτητες & ακολουθείτε τις οδηγίες των Αρχών
ℹ️ https://t.co/mbLpAekqgN@pyrosvestiki
@hellenicpolice— 112 Greece (@112Greece) September 6, 2023
Flooding occurred in Hamosternas and Kypseli, while several areas have been plunged into darkness due to power outages.
Σε εξέλιξη βρίσκεται ο καθαρισμός του σταθμού Ευαγγελισμός του Μετρό. Νωρίτερα: pic.twitter.com/KizmeT3oAz https://t.co/59naqy9R7r
— Athens Transport Μέσα Μαζικής Μεταφοράς στην Αθήνα (@athenstransport) September 6, 2023
At the same time, the metro station
Μετρό Ευαγγελισμός pic.twitter.com/h7x43lj4Uy
— meuten (@s_txvd) September 6, 2023
Πλημμύρισε ο σταθμός Μοναστηράκι pic.twitter.com/kwuXzb5ETj
— EFSYN (@EFSYNTAKTON) September 6, 2023
According to media, traffic of ISAP is temporarily conducted in the Piraeus-Tavros & Omonia-Kifisia sections, due to the inflow of a large amount of water on the track in the Monastiraki-Thissio section.
According to traffic police, due to the accumulation of water, the traffic of vehicles was stopped in both streams of Piraeus Street from Petrou Ralli Street to Hamosternas Street.
video: downpour in Kifissia
For the same reason, traffic has been reportedly stopped on Posidonos Avenue, in the traffic direction towards Glyfada, from the height of the exit to Syngrou Avenue.
Under water were several main streets of Piraeus, as well.
The Fire Service has received dozens of calls for pumping water from homes and businesses.
Καθως θα κοιτάτε τις ζημιές και τις πλημμύρες στο κέντρο της Αθήνας απο την #κακοκαιρια θα ήθελα να σας δείξω αυτό.
Στην #Αθηνα η βροχή έπεσε με ενταση 196mm/h και στο #Πήλιο με 960mm/h.
Στην 2η εικονα σημειωνω την ενταση της Αθηνας με μωβ, για να καταλαβετε διαφορά. pic.twitter.com/Z3yud8CqaA— -`🦊´- @[email protected] (μαστοδον) (@alepouda) September 6, 2023
In Athens rain fell with an intensity of 196mm/hour, while in Pilion, Central Greece, with 960mm/h.
At the same time, the situation in Thessaly and Magnisia, central Greece, remains extremely dramatic, with tonnes of water and mud to cover thousands of acres and having claimed the lives of three people, while another four are been missing.
A nine hundred and sixty millimeter per hour rainfall rate sounds immpossible. Isn’t that (960 mm) the total rainfall over the entire event? Yes, I realize that the rain was incrediby intense, but I don’t think that 0.96 m of rain per hour is even possible.
The other thing that is worth noting is that the storm was ‘super-charged’ by the recent heatwave. These types of interactions are (sometimes) difficult to predict but increasingly common. Did anyone at the Athens Observatory even speculate about the possibility of a long heatwave indirectly triggering extreme flooding? I would bet not. What other unpredicted interactions are we in store for in the immediate future? Given the many possibilities, one can rest assured that there will be others, with similar or even worse (if that is possible) results. Greece, like other parts of the arid world, may experience both more intense droughts AND more flooding, all in the same month! May God (of whatever denomination) pass judgement on the fossil fule CEOs that knew about the impacts of climate-warming CO^2 as far back and the 1960s and 1970s, when we coud’ve much much much much more easily dealt with it.
Why hasnt the army etc been sent out to help all those people who have been stranded with the flooding!!! Unbelievable 😡