Storms in Greece: Villages cut off

The Greek meteorological service says the municipality of Karditsa in southwestern Thessaly has been transformed into a huge lake. Some 72,000 hectares of land are flooded. Three days after devastating rains left them without food and water, hundreds of people there are still cut off from the surrounding area.

The situation in Thessaly's towns and villages remains dire. The emergency services are rescuing people from flooded villages, but it is unclear how many people are still missing. Almost 2,000 have been rescued so far, according to fire department spokesman Vasilios Vathrakogiannis.

Infrastructure has been badly damaged. Many villages, as well as large parts of the towns of Volos, Larisa and Karditsa, have no water or electricity. Farmers are using tractors to try to reach those who are still trapped by the floods.

Thousands of people in Thessaly are now relying on outside aid. The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has ordered the deployment of the military in the affected region.

This region, known as the breadbasket of Greece, is now submerged beneath floodwater and mud. In many fields, the water is several meters deep. The consequences for farmers and their crops are still hard to estimate. Experts quoted in the Greek media have spoken of billions of euros' worth of damage.

The vast quantities of water have split the country in two, with the connection between Thessaloniki and Athens interrupted. This was the highest rainfall Greek meteorologists have ever recorded. In some places, more than 700 liters (185 gallons) of water fell per square meter (per 11 square feet) in less than 24 hours.