Hit by floods and fires, a Greek villager has lost hope

SESKLO, Greece (Reuters) – After dealing with both fires and floods, 46-year-old Vasilis Tsiamitas has experienced the extremes of abnormal weather in Greece this summer, highlighting the impact of climate change in the region.

In the small village of Sesklo in central Greece, Tsiamitas’ house was flooded by Storm Elias, his beach bar was damaged, and the floods swept away his car in September. This came after previous damage from Storm Daniel, Greece’s most intense storm on record, as well as a July wildfire that destroyed his family almond grove.

Standing outside his damaged family house, Tsiamitas expressed his uncertainty about the future, stating, “God only knows how I will get past this. What else could hit me? It can’t get any worse.”

Frequent storms and floods, coupled with rising temperatures, have created ideal conditions for wildfires in Greece. Mud-covered roads and household furniture left outside to dry serve as constant reminders of the need for the country to adapt to mitigate the impact of such extreme weather events.

Sesklo, a historic village with about 800 residents, has faced natural disasters throughout its history. However, Tsiamitas believes that the current devastation is unprecedented, even for the eldest residents who have never experienced anything like it before.

The July wildfire burned uncontrolled for at least two days, destroying approximately 70% of the village’s almond and olive oil production, according to Tsiamitas. The strong winds and dry conditions made it difficult to contain the fire, despite efforts to evacuate residents.

In early September, Storm Daniel hit Thessaly following a prolonged heatwave, resulting in significant damage to homes, farms, and crops. Although most Sesklo residents were not severely affected, Storm Elias later caused further destruction in the area.

Tsiamitas recollects how the storm forced him to seek refuge upstairs with his youngest son in his arms as a torrent of water flooded his home. As the water receded, the true extent of the devastation became apparent, leading Tsiamitas to contemplate the need to rebuild and start from scratch.

“We should learn our lesson,” Tsiamitas said, as he looked at burnt almond tree stumps. “We need to uproot them … we need to plant them again. Again and again, we need to start everything from scratch.”

(Additional reporting by Stamos Prousalis; Writing by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)