Local authorities said heavy rain last night triggered multiple landslides and rock falls, notably in the villages of Karousades, Velonades and Sidari. A slope collapsed beside the local police station, damaging patrol cars and other parked vehicles and underscoring the scale of the destruction. No casualties have been reported, but teams from the fire service and civil protection are clearing mud and debris and attempting to reopen key routes.
The decision to declare an emergency was taken at a meeting at the town hall attended by the regional governor of the Ionian Islands, the mayor and senior fire-service officials. Schools in the affected areas will be closed on Monday and sporting events scheduled for the weekend have been postponed because damaged infrastructure makes movement unsafe.
Severe weather has also affected large parts of western and northern Greece. The national meteorological service warns conditions will deteriorate further, with heavy rain, strong winds and high seas expected in the Ionian region and further inland.
Regional impacts
• Corfu: Northern villages were worst hit; roads have turned into rivers of mud and debris. Civil protection crews are working to restore traffic to Karousades, Velonades and Sidari. The collapse of a slope near the police station caused significant damage to vehicles and nearby structures.
• Thesprotia: The Kalamas plain was submerged in muddy water, cutting access roads in areas such as Parapotamos. Local authorities are attempting to re-establish routes to affected communities.
• Epirus: Rainfall totals of up to 330 millimetres were recorded in parts of Epirus over a three-day period, leading to power outages and damage in mountainous villages. Emergency teams are restoring electricity and checking infrastructure, while historic bridges have been tested by the torrents.
• Kastoria: The Aliakmonas river overflowed in several locations, flooding crops and forcing temporary restrictions on drinking-water use in some villages. In the municipality of Argos Orestiko, five livestock farmers were temporarily trapped by rising water around the village of Grammos, while agricultural losses have been reported across the regional unit.
Across affected areas, falling trees have severed power lines, causing outages and interruptions to water supplies where contamination has been detected. Authorities have urged residents to avoid non-essential travel and to follow instructions from emergency services.
Outlook
The National Meteorological Service has issued a bulletin warning of further heavy rainfall, gusting winds and the transport of African dust into central and southern regions. Residents in the Ionian islands, Epirus, western Central Greece and parts of Macedonia and Thrace are advised to remain alert as conditions evolve.
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