After a few days of steady rain, vicious flash floods have erupted on the tranquil Greek islands of Paros and Mykonos. These islands are famous for their lively tourist activities and quaint villages, but now the water levels have skyrocketed, and some of the most impacted regions are experiencing terrible devastation.
Business and Residential Areas Affected Les Paros: Submerged Properties and Cars
The most impacted region is the fishing Bay of Naoussa located on Paros. A creek turned river wreaked havoc by flooding businesses and homes. As Paros Mayor Costas Bizas mentioned, the losses have been considerable, almost 40 cars have been swallowed by floodwater. Businesses are being forced to close down as the floods are submerging streets and crippling vital infrastructure.
In the midst of the chaos, some good news is that despite the severity of the flooding, there have been no reported injuries. With the ongoing storm, however, officials remain on high alert to calculate the damage while assessing the total impact.
Mykonos: Flood Damaged Areas of the Island but Lightly Affected Other Places
Myknonos island which is paraded for it’s nightlife entertainment and exquisite hotels did not get hit as badly as Paros island, however, it is lacking in other areas. Local stores and neighborhoods have had local floods, and suffered some amount of inflow of water. Cleanup efforts are becoming more and more complicated with the floods and consistent heavy rainfall.
Every island and location that is depended upon by tourism is suffering severely. Local residents and vacationers are experiencing a greater level of disruption as roads stuck in stand still traffic and business everywhere are shut down. The summer weather for the island is assumed to be reaching new highs and will open the gates for a wild amount of tourists that are waiting to desperately flow into the region.
Extreme Conditions of Weather Will Persist: Clean Up Tasks Rated As The Highest Priority
With the forecast expecting heavy pouring of rain till tuesday, emergency portable services are scattered all across the place and in the greatest level of readiness. Tourists and other new island arrived citizens are asked to remain wherever they are and stay put. Teams are quickly moving to new places in order to control the floods or assist with saving people. Flexible plans are already set in place in the case that all clear and essential services are given the green light, weather conditions allow operational movement.
The Reconstruction Phase is Costly to The Industry
This sector sustain some of the greatest losses, especially in Paros and Mykonos, during floods. Although most of the damages are not predictable at this point in time, many travelers are likely to face massive cancellations due to busted transport systems and closures of major attractions. Most businesses are still in shambles, especially the ones in Paros, as they expect a gradual improvement in the economic climate.
A Clarion Call of Hope: Is The Islands Ever Resilient Legitimately Attempting Create A Better Future?
But these uncontrolled ponding on the surface of the land are two of the biggest eye sores in Mykonos and Paros. At least in my opinion, in future this will be large problem islands will face. There should be synergetic reconstruction across the entire island ensuring the construction is resistant to flooding, while the immediate focus should be on eliminating the risks for both residents and tourists.
I’m more focused on the direction of the sun, while hoping that these remaining of these communities join together and “spring” into action to restore further the aesthetic appeal of the island. There is bound to be a collective sigh of awe, but the full extent of damage will be experienced in the long run.