A study of extreme storm events in the Greater Athens area, Greece (original) (raw)

Extreme floods in Greece: the case of 1994

1995

Abstract. Several regions in Greece suffer from frequent and hazardous extreme floods and flash floods. In this paper an attempt is made to present the basic characteristics of the extreme floods occurred in October 1994 and which caused severe damages and loss of lives in Athens greater area and in the Thessaly plain.

Are the September 2023 floods in Thessaly the Greek equivalent of Katrina? A preliminary, comparative analysis.

Proceedings of the International Conference on Humanitarian Crisis Management (KRISIS 2023), M. Drakaki, D. Vega (Editors). Institute for the Management of Refugee Flows and Crises, University Research Center, International Hellenic University, ISBN 978-618-5630-17-1 (e-book)., 2023

This paper identifies and discusses a list of early drawn similarities between two otherwise different disasters, namely the flooding of the valley of Thessaly, in Greece, following Mediterranean storm Daniel in September 2023 and the landfall of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans in August 2005. I argue that while the two hazards are not comparable, the reasons why the two locations flooded are. Likewise, similarities can be found in the ways the people affected experienced these two disasters, which were primarily driven by socioeconomic and not natural factors. Setting off from the position that, given the global attention and amount of scholarly work on disaster management that followed Katrina, the wrongdoings of 2005 should have been avoided 18 years later, and further motivated by the long-lasting impact the floods in Thessaly are expected to have both for their survivors as well as the Greek state more broadly as the climate crisis deepens, this comparative analysis is provided so that any future national disaster risk management plan does, at the very least, make use of lessons already learnt from previous disasters.

An inventory of flood events in Athens, Greece, during the last 130 years. Seasonality and spatial distribution

This work focuses on flooding phenomena in Athens metropolitan area in Greece. To this end, based on a flood-event database aggregated with civil protection and documentary spatial evidence, an exhaustive inventory of floods in the area is developed, including events not previously studied. Fifty-two floods are identified between 1880 and 2010, in various locations around Athens basin, which caused 182 casualties and substantial damage. Analysis of the inventory shows an increase in flood occurrence during autumn, especially November, and a rise in flood frequency in recent decades. Spatial information is used to identify the segments of the drainage network that overflowed in each of these flooding episodes. Geographic information system-based spatial analysis of all the events indicates that certain sections of the drainage network, particularly in the central and north-western parts of the study area, are the most vulnerable to flood phenomena.

A flood hazard database for Greece Entwicklung einer

2013

In natural hazard research, the impact of flood events and their adverse consequences highlight the increasing importance of studies on flood hazard and risk, not only on a global scale but in particular on a national and sub-national level. However, data on flood losses is neither comprehensive nor standardised in terms of data quality throughout Europe; and the limitations of spatial and temporal information on floods has repeatedly been claimed. The aim of this paper is to close this gap by taking the Republic of Greece as an example. Based on data collection and data mining techniques we established a comprehensive flood inventory for the period 1887-2010 by using information from multiple sources, and analysed the characteristics of flood hazards and losses in Greece. It is shown that there are considerable spatial and temporal dynamics in the events recorded, as well as in the number of fatalities, which could be mainly attributed to (1) the implementation of technical mitigat...

Flood fatalities in Greece: 1970 - 2010

This work focuses on the analysis of flood fatalities in Greece, between 1970 and 2010. To this end, the paper develops and studies a systematic record of 151 flood-related fatalities that occurred across the country during this period. Based on this inventory and detailed incident reports, a database is developed, to examine the temporal, spatial and seasonal distribution of these incidents and the circumstances under which they occur. Analysis indicates that fatalities present a strong seasonality but show no particular temporal trends. Fatal incidents occur mostly during nighttime, outdoors and in rural areas of the country. Vehicle-related deaths are the most common type of incident, regarding the activity of victims, whereas other outdoor and indoor types of incidents present smaller percentages. Drowning was found to be the most common etiology of death. Males and elderly individuals showed proportionally higher representation, indicating an increased risk of these population groups to flooding.

Flood fatalities in Athens, Greece: 1880- 2010

Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, 2016

Flood-related deaths in urban environments constitute a major issue in flood risk management especially during the last decades, as global urban population grows larger. This work focuses on the analysis of flood-related fatalities in Athens metropolitan area, in Greece between 1880 and 2010. To this aim, a database is compiled, recording spatial and temporal distribution of fatal flood incidents, along with demographic information on the victims. GIS is used to map and spatially analyze the incidents in question and to examine possible migration trends. Results showed a total of 182 fatalities across Athens basin, presenting a decreasing trend, even though flood event numbers are rising. Males, youngsters and elderly people showed an overrepresentation amongst the victims in comparison with the country’s general population. Fatal incidents presented a higher spatial density in the central and southwestern parts of the city indicating a higher persistence of flo...

Mapping and Classification of Direct Effects of the Flood of October 2014 in Athens

Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, 2017

In 24 October 2014, a high intensity storm hit Athens’ western suburbs causing extensive flash flooding phenomena. The drainage and the sewerage network of the city were overwhelmed leading to catastrophic flood flows along the road network, flooding houses and businesses, sweeping away vehicles, injuring people and causing numerous problems in transportation across the city. Parts of the city were inundated for several hours, particularly in western Athens, namely Ilion, Menidi, Peristeri, Acharnai, Korydallos and Piraeus. This work examines and reconstructs in detail the flood's characteristics, the different types of direct effects within the urban environment and the severity of its direct impacts across Athens basin. Results show a concentration of flood damages in specific locations mostly along the city's natural drainage network or derelict streams and culverts. At their peak stage, floodwaters extended to an area of 4.9 square km recording a maximum depth of 170 cm ...

The Catastrophic Floods in Western Attica, in Greece, 2017: Traumatic Memories and Stories (2022)

I. Подходи към изследване на бедствията / ApproAches to DisAster stuDies / 13 Elya Tzaneva. Combating Bio-disasters in Strandzha in Perspective to their Regional Ecological Impact (An Anthropological Thesis) / Еля Цанева. Преодоляване на биологичните зарази в Странджа в перспективата на тяхното регионално екологично въздействие (Антропологичният поглед) / 15 Джени Маджаров. Обстоятелства, които превръщат обикновеното битово действие в символично, предпазващо от беди и бедствия, в българската традиция / Dzheni Madzharov. Circumstances that Turn the Ordinary Everyday Action into a Symbolically Protective against Troubles and Disasters in the Bulgarian Tradition / 41 Ива Кюркчиева. Етнология на спорта и бедствия-изследователски перспективи / Iva Kyurkchieva. Ethnology of Sport and Disasters-Research Perspectives / 55 Илия Вълев. За една друга страна на военната служба-Българската армия като "спасител" (предварителни резултати) / Iliya Valev. On Another Aspect of Military Service-the Bulgarian Army as "a Saviour" (Preliminary Results) / 66 Стамен Кънев. Поява и развитие на антропологията на бедствията (общ преглед на някои основни изследвания и концепции) / Stamen Kanev. Emergence and Development of the Anthropology of Disasters (an Overview of Some Major Studies and Concepts) / 80 II. терени и локални бедствия / FielDwork reseArch AnD locAl DisAsters / 89 Раймонд Детрез. "Грех ради наших". Религиозното възприемане на природните бедствия на Балканите през османския период / Raymond Detrez. "Because of Our Sins". Religious Understanding of Natural Disasters in the Balkans in the Ottoman Period / 91 6 Радина Илиева. Детските лагери като форма на обучение в превенция и среда за преодоляване на последици от природни бедствия / Radina Ilieva. Children's Camps as a Form of Training in Prevention and an Environment for Overcoming the Consequences of Natural Disasters / 105 Валери Личев. Многоликият образ на бедствието / Valery Lichev. The Multifaceted Image of Disaster / 117 Анни Кирилова. Локални бедствия в думи и образи от терена / Anny Kirilova. Local Disasters in Words and Images from the Field / 131 Цветана Манова. В рамката на спомена / Tsvetana Manova. In the Frame of Memory / 143 Мила Маева. Традиции, бедствие и локална общност (кв. Аспарухово, гр. Варна) / Mila Maeva. Traditions, Disaster and Local Community (Asparuhovo District, Varna) / 156 III. овладяване и уПравление на бедствията / DisAster contAinment AnD mAnAgement / 169 Йелис Еролова. Подходите на местните общности за възстановяване от бедствията в кв. Аспарухово (2014) и с. Хитрино (2016) / Yelis Erolova. Local Communities' Approaches to Disaster Recovery in the Asparuhovo District (2014) and the Village of Hitrino (2016) / 171 Aikaterini Schoina. The Catastrophic Floods in Western Attica, in Greece, 2017: Traumatic Memories and Stories / Катерина Шойна. Катастрофичните наводнения в Западна Атика, Гърция, 2017: Травматични спомени и разкази / 186 Пламена Стоянова. Аспекти от взаимодействието на държавни и доброволчески структури в контекста на наводнението в кв. Аспарухово, Варна, и аварията в с. Хитрино / Plamena Stoyanova. Aspects of the Interaction of State and Volunteer Structures in the Context of the Flooding in the Asparuhovo District, Varna, and the Accident in the Village of Hitrino / 206 Бехрин Шопова. Безводието като бедствие (по примери от гр. Омуртаг и региона) / Behrin Shopova. Waterlessness as a Disaster (Examples from the Town of Omurtag and the Region) / 229 Лилия Сазонова. Творчеството като средство за преодоляване на кризисни ситуации / Liliya Sazonova. Creativity as a Means for Overcoming Crisis Situations / 240