Evros: Thousands of acres under water

On the night of February 25, residents of Evros fought a continuous battle with the water as the constant flow of water from Bulgaria and Turkey has put the entire region on high alert.

The Evros region has been placed under “red alert” until Friday. The situation is critical in Dadia, Tychero, Soufli, Lavara, and Didymoteicho.

The severe flooding has caused the destruction of embankments and the covering of large areas in both countries, which, of course, reduces the flow of water.

According to reports from ERT, more than 1,600 cubic meters of water per second have fallen.

The need for draining the flooded areas is urgent, and it is estimated that it will take at least two months to restore normalcy in the area.

Despite the extremely difficult conditions, continuous drainage efforts are being made, with residents and authorities working tirelessly throughout the night to prevent further flooding of villages and to limit the damage.

The images of devastation in the region are shocking.

It is worth noting that the river’s water level exceeded the emergency threshold of 6.40 meters, reaching up to 7 meters in Lavara Soufli, with more than 150,000 acres of land covered by water.

The breach of the embankment at Amorio, about six kilometers from Lavara, has caused great concern among the residents. Huge volumes of water coming down from the Greek-Bulgarian border are putting tremendous pressure on the embankments and riverbank areas, intensifying the risk of new flooding, with residents ready to evacuate their homes at any moment.

At the Pythio measuring station, a slight decrease in water level was recorded yesterday, with the level dropping to 6.50 meters from the previous 6.82 meters, a reduction attributed to the breaching of embankments in both Bulgaria and Turkey, where significant amounts of water are being released.

It is noted that on February 23, Bulgaria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs informed the Greek Embassy in Sofia that the water volumes in the catchment areas of the Arda, Evros, and Tundzha rivers had reached 1,600 cubic meters per second.

The situation in Evros is the worst it has faced since 2015.

Huge volumes of water are moving along the river, threatening plains, crops, and settlements, and the authorities remain in constant readiness for any further deterioration of the situation.