Severe weather battered large parts of Greece and triggered evacuations, landslides, flooding and major road disruptions, with western Greece and the Peloponnese recording the most serious impacts.
Authorities evacuated two settlements on Mount Taygetos in Messenia as a precaution, while a major landslide cut off the village of Mazaráki in Ilia and left residents struggling to move safely through the area. The Peloponnese Region submitted a request to declare the area in a state of emergency.
Mazaráki landslide cuts off village in Ilia
Residents in Mazaráki, in the Municipality of Ilida, faced growing anxiety after a new landslide struck the area due to continuous rainfall. The landslide blocked the entrance to the village and left it effectively isolated.
Local reports said large volumes of earth covered the access point and even shifted electricity poles. On Tuesday morning (17 February), residents carried children across fields on their backs to reach school and later returned the same way, as strong weather conditions continued.
A municipal crew from Ilida worked on site from the morning to assess the situation, remove debris and restore road access. Local authorities urged residents and drivers to avoid the area until they secured safe passage.
Officials warned that continued rainfall increased the risk of further landslides.
Taygetos evacuations in Messenia
The Peloponnese Region placed Messenia under heightened alert as the storm produced widespread damage, including impassable roads, repeated landslides and isolated villages.
Authorities evacuated the settlements of Ano Meria and Machalas in the Taygetos area as a precaution. Residents of Machalas faced a repeat of past trauma, as they had previously evacuated during severe weather in January 2021.
Widespread damage across Kalamata municipality
The Municipality of Kalamata recorded problems across most of its territory, with services operating under the coordination of the Civil Protection Office and the Technical Services Directorate.
Deputy Mayor for Civil Protection Pantelis Drougas said crews carried out interventions in multiple areas, including Kordia, the western beachfront, Filothei, Kallithea, Perivolakia, the former landfill site of Elaiochori, Belines in Giannitsanika, Laeika, Antikalamos, Amfeia and Sperchogeia.
Authorities also reported the collapse of boundary walls in locations such as Platy and Aipeia, while rainfall caused damage in Aithaia, Anemomylos, Ariochori and Megali Mantineia.
Landslides, subsidence and road network failures forced closures on key routes. The road linking Nedousa to Mardaki and Alagonia remained closed, as did the Agrokipio–Alagonia road. Authorities also shut the Karveli–Ladas–Sparta National Road section at the location known as “Dasaki”.
On Monday afternoon, authorities carried out an organised, preventive removal of residents from the two settlements in the Alagonia area due to increased landslide risk.
Rio–Antirrio ferry services suspended
Authorities suspended ferry crossings on the Rio–Antirrio route from Tuesday morning (17 February) due to strong winds.
The storm intensified from the evening hours in Achaia and wider western Greece. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection placed the Region of Western Greece on “red alert” for flooding risks and coastal flooding driven by gale-force winds.
Emergency declarations and road closures in other regions
Mazaráki remained under full isolation on Tuesday morning due to the landslide. Authorities also declared the Municipality of Kalavryta in a state of emergency, following an earlier emergency declaration for the Municipality of Erymanthos.
A landslide also forced the closure of the Old National Road near Platanos in Aigialeia, causing serious traffic disruption.
The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (EMY) updated its emergency weather bulletin and issued an orange warning based on the latest forecast data.
Flooding after controlled water release in Ilia
In Ilia, officials carried out a controlled release of water from the Karamanlis Dam towards the Pineios River after successive waves of severe weather. The release led to the river overflowing, flooding large areas and turning them into vast lakes.
A whole neighbourhood in the town of Vartholomio remained cut off by the Pineios overflow, with at least one resident reportedly trapped in her home since the previous day. After the storm, machinery moved in to remove debris and transported materials.
Road collapse in Tzoumerka and snow in Epirus
In Tzoumerka, a section of the provincial road between Pramanta and Ioannina collapsed, leaving the area resembling a bombed landscape. The road split in two during subsidence on Sunday morning, trapping a passing car. The driver escaped at the last moment and later required assistance as crews removed the vehicle with a crane.
Aerial images showed the scale of the damage, with the road suffering subsidence across roughly 60 metres.
Epirus also recorded landslides near Agnanta and saw the Louros River rise significantly, flooding farmland and turning the plain into a lake. Heavy snowfall continued in mountainous areas until midday, including Vovousa, Milia Metsovou, Anatoliko and parts of Zagori.
The Region of Epirus deployed 35 Civil Protection machines to clear snow, remove landslide debris and reopen roads.
Corfu faces ongoing road damage
Corfu continued to struggle with landslides and subsidence, with rockfalls occurring close to homes and widespread damage appearing across the island’s road network.
The Ionian Islands Regional Governor and three mayors planned to travel to Athens to meet Deputy Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Katsafados to seek urgent interventions and funding.
Naxos and Katerini also request emergency measures
Authorities declared the municipal communities of Agios Arsenios and Aperathos on Naxos in a state of emergency after intense weather in recent days.
In Agios Prokopios, the coastal road surface collapsed, leaving sections suspended in the air. The Municipality of Katerini also submitted a request to declare a state of emergency after damage along the coastal front.
