While parts of Greece sadly once again make international news from raging wildfires,  the exact opposite happened yesterday in the Deep Mani. On the day of the Feast of the Dormition of the Virgin Mary, damage to roads and infrastructure was reported from the torrential rains in the area.

The impact was so serious that GAIA declared “Due to heavy rainfall in the area, the road from Agios Nikolaos to Areopoli is temporarily closed due to torrential rain. It is not possible to cross from Agios Nikonas to Areopoli until further notice. We ask drivers to be particularly careful , as new rain passages are expected in the wider area. We will inform you immediately as soon as there is a new development regarding the condition of the road.”

The worst hit villages were Oitylo, Neo Oitylo, Limeni and on the east coast, Kokkala and Port Kagio

• The Fire Department Operations Center received 50 calls for assistance
• More than 10 people needed assistance from being trapped in their cars
• According to the National Observatory of Athens, 141 millimeters of water fell in a short time , that is, 141 tons of water per hectare
• The temperature in the area dropped sharply, reaching 19 degrees Celsius, as recorded by meteo.gr,
• Deputy Mayor of Lakonia, Georgia Lyrofoni, declared that “cars have been swept into the sea, while significant damage has been caused to the road network, both to the road surface and to bridges.”. She also noted that “several people have requested their removal from the affected areas and their accommodation has been organized at the Areopolis indoor gym.”
• -According to a post on X by Adonis Georgiadis, a woman was seriously injured by lightning that struck her while she was trapped in her car in Oitylo. The woman was taken to Sparta Hospital.
• Numerous video clips on social media show just how fast-flowing the torrents of water were.
• Deputy Mayor for Civil Protection Giorgos Exarchakos described the phenomenon that struck eastern Mani as “unprecedented” and added “It is an unprecedented situation for our region,” he said and added: “The communities of Nymfi, Exonymfi, Kokkala and Lagia have been affected. There are reports of significant damage to houses and mainly to the road network, where in certain areas it has been destroyed. Fortunately, no people were in danger.”

Sources: Messinia Live and Tharros News

Video courtesy of Messinia Live (obviously)