Death Toll from Storm Daniel Reaches 10, 4 Still Missing: Greek Minister
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Storm Daniel Claims 10 Lives in Greece
The Greek Minister of Civil Protection and Climate Crisis announced on Friday that the death toll from Storm Daniel has risen to 10, with four individuals still missing.
Impact on Local Communities
Vassilis Kikilias, the Minister of Civil Protection and Climate Crisis, revealed during a press conference that ten people lost their lives due to the storm. Additionally, four individuals are currently missing in the Volos and Pelion region.
Larissa, another significant settlement in the affected area, is on high alert due to the potential risk of flooding from the Benios River, which flows through the city.
Furthermore, the state-run Amna news agency reported that both the city center and suburbs of Volos in the Thessaly region have been without water supply for four consecutive days. This is a result of the destruction of infrastructure, water pumping facilities, and water pipe networks.
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Government Support and Recovery Efforts
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis visited the affected area by helicopter and assured the public that the government would provide extensive support to those impacted by the storm.
Efthimios Likas, a disaster management expert from the University of Athens, warned that the storm-induced floods had destroyed approximately 23% of the country’s agricultural production in the Thessaly region. He emphasized that the fertile soil may take up to five years to recover and regain productivity due to the deposition of clay and silt caused by the floods.
Economic Impact and Potential Inflation
Panagiotis Petrakis, an economist from the University of Athens, estimated that the direct cost of the disaster could amount to 1.15 billion euros ($1.23 billion). Petrakis also expressed concern about the loss of agricultural production leading to a significant increase in food prices and a subsequent rise in inflation.
Extent of Flooding
According to the European Union’s Copernicus Emergency Management System, nearly 73,000 hectares of land were flooded in the Thessaly region.
