Evros River at danger level
The government called a state of emergency for the prefecture of Evros in the country’s northeast yesterday after water levels on the Evros River reached dangerously high levels due to heavy rainfall and melting snow in the region, authorities said. The army, the fire department and municipal crews were all on standby as some 20,000 hectares of farmland flooded. The depth of the Evros River, which separates Greece and Turkey, reached 6.15 meters at some points, 45 centimeters above the emergency level. Authorities warned residents to stay well clear of the river. «We are on high alert. The problem will be created in the next 24 hours as the water level in Ardas River [an Evros tributary] reaches 5.80 meters,» Evros Deputy Prefect Michalis Kogioumtzis told the Athens News Agency. Local officials opened two flood barriers to ease the pressure along the Evros, flooding some 350 hectares of farmland.
