The Aftermath of Cyclone Daniel and Elias in Thessaly, Greece
Deluge and Displacement: The Aftermath of Cyclone Daniel and Elias in Thessaly, Greece.
In September of 2023, Cyclone Daniel, an unprecedented intensity Mediterranean cyclone, poured months of rain in a few hours in Thessaly, the most fertile plain in Greece. The storm killed 17 people, destroyed roads and bridges, drowned tens of thousands of farm animals, and devastated vast areas. Following a significant period of destructive wildfires in the area, sweeping storms Daniel and Elias flattened the Thessalian plain.
Months after the catastrophic floods, residents in Vlochos of Karditsa struggle with whatever means they have to recover their properties. Those who could, moved to neighboring villages or to Karditsa until they could rebuild their homes. According to the community's president, before the floods, there were 115 families, and now only 4-5 remain unable to relocate.
The village of Sotirio in Larissa, which once bordered fields of corn and cotton, now sits at the edge of a swamp. Dark green waters teeming with insects cover the fields. Even where the flood has receded, only mud and dried branches remain. Residents have abandoned their homes or are trying to restore them to their original state, while some farmers despair as waters persist months after the storms.
Greece is the main cotton producer in the European Union, accounting for 80 percent of production.
Residents in many areas of the Thessaly region have been displaced from their homes due to natural disasters and the expansion of the climate crisis.
