Severe storm cause widespread damage on Greece's northeast islands

Athens, Nov 12 (IANS) Heavy rainfall and hailstorms swept across Greece's northeastern Aegean islands over the past 24 hours, causing extensive flooding and major damage to homes, businesses, and crops, local authorities said.

On Lesvos Island, the town of Kalloni was among the hardest hit, with streets, houses, and dozens of shops submerged after the Tsiknias River overflowed. Floodwaters reached up to 1.3 metres in some areas, while emergency crews worked for hours to pump water from buildings, reports Xinhua news agency.

Local officials said the flooding was worsened by debris blocking a nearby bridge. The historic Kremasti Bridge also sustained damage when floodwaters carried a large shipping container into it.

On Samos Island, a powerful overnight storm brought torrential rain and hailstones "the size of small walnuts," officials said. The severe weather flooded homes and damaged roads, while heavy hail destroyed olive crops at the height of the harvest season.

Local authorities have requested emergency financial aid from the government to repair infrastructure and support affected farmers.

Greece has experienced an increasing number of extreme weather events in recent years, which scientists link to climate change.

Thousands of farmers and livestock breeders staged demonstrations across Greece on Tuesday, urging the government to provide stronger financial support to the country's primary production sector.

In Athens, union representatives from across the country gathered outside the Ministry of Rural Development and Food in a rally organised by the National Union of Agricultural Cooperatives.

Carrying banners and chanting slogans such as "No farmers, no food, no future," protesters called for faster distribution of subsidies and compensation for losses caused by natural disasters and livestock diseases.

Farmers also requested additional assistance to cope with rising production costs and the impact of a recent sheep and goat pox outbreak, which led to the culling of about 400,000 animals nationwide this year.

--IANS

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