The night was particularly difficult for communities along the river. The water level exceeded the alarm threshold of 6.40 metres and reached seven metres. Shortly before 5 am, a 112 message was sent to residents in Lavara and Soufli, calling on them to remain on alert due to the river’s overflow.
The situation is described as extremely critical. Residents were woken by sirens, while authorities remain on constant alert.
On Tuesday morning, an embankment in the Amori area broke, sending large quantities of water across the plain in front of the village. A meeting of the local coordinating body later decided to close all crossings along the vertical road axis. Residents living in houses next to the road were told to remain on alert throughout the night and, if necessary, to obtain sandbags to protect vulnerable points and reduce the risk of further flooding.
In the village of Pythio, water has already reached house yards. In Lavara, a dam failure has worsened conditions. Overnight, residents attempted to build makeshift barriers with sandbags to stop water entering their homes.
Bulgarian authorities have informed Greece that very large quantities of water are expected to flow from Bulgaria over the next 36 hours, while significant inflows are also being recorded from Turkey. The flow is estimated to reach 1,500 cubic metres per second, mainly during night-time hours. Residents report a loud, continuous roar from the volume of water coming down from the two neighbouring countries.
More than 150,000 acres of arable land have already been flooded. The water is expected to take a long time to recede, creating serious problems for farmers who will not be able to plant crops. Residents are also deeply concerned about the possibility of water entering homes.
Experts say the phenomenon is not linked to weather conditions in Greece, but to conditions in neighbouring countries. Bulgaria has experienced heavy snowfall and, as temperatures rise in the coming days, gradual snowmelt is expected to continue feeding the river with large quantities of water.
Images from the Evros region show the scale of the flooding, with courts and basketball courts almost submerged up to the nets. Authorities say they are closely monitoring the situation.
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