Villages and towns on Evia at risk of flooding after summer fires

Research by Athens University’s Department of Geology and Geoenvironment has shown that at least six towns and villages in northern Evia, the Greek island struck by large wildfires last August, are facing a second disaster – floods – this winter, as the much of the soil has washed away without the trees to hold it in place. The danger is not merely theoretical: In 2020 a downpour in the area dumped 297 millimeters (11.7 inches) of rain in just eight hours. The Athens Observatory has estimated that Evia, Greece’s second largest island, lost 33% of its forests in August. Before the fires, forests covered 23% of the island.