State of emergency declared in Serres due to floods

A state of emergency was declared on Tuesday morning in the region of Serres in northern Greece, after several days of heavy rain destroyed crops and took out parts of the road network.

According to an assessment so far by technical teams of the hardest-hit municipalities in the region, at least 5,000 hectares of farmland have experienced flooding in dozens of villages. Damage has also been noted to irrigation and draining systems, rural roads and bridges.

Regional authorities also warned that Lake Kerkini has swelled to dangerous levels and is being monitored by the hour. Deputy Regional Governor of Serres Yiannis Moisidis said authorities are not ruling out opening Kerkini's dam to release some of the pressure on the artificial lake.