Bad weather leaves havoc in its wake
With the rain and snow finally on the retreat and a spring sun hesitantly making its appearance, a clearer picture is emerging of the full extent of the havoc wreaked by the recent spell of bad weather. In Pieria, Evia, Achaia, the Cyclades and on Crete, the very landscape has changed. The heavy, prolonged rainfall of last month made whole mountains shift position, sweeping away houses, crops, workshops and miles of roads; whole hillsides collapsed under the weight of water and blocked the roads, plunging into despair hundreds of people who could find no one disposed to explain this unprecedented phenomenon. With the departure of the last television cameras from the stricken areas, the difficulties on the «day after» seem immense. A record of the damage is as yet incomplete (and there has been no word on compensation) while no one cares to contemplate another wave of bad weather. Kathimerini traveled the country, recording the true extent of the damage, and spoke with people who saw their property vanish in seconds. «In the past few years, when we didn’t have rain, we… were always doing something illegal. Today, there isn’t anyone who hasn’t suffered some form of damage. Nature and God have punished us. Let’s hope He takes pity on us, because if the heavens open again, no one knows what will happen,» people said. Reported by L. Giannarou, G. Souliotis, A. Kassimis, T. Tsinganas, I. Kanistras and P. Houlakis.
