The floods that marked Thessaly from 1540 to Daniel

It is an area that has been tested for several centuries by large, which has caused many major disasters. With reference to the floods caused by the weather Daniel becomes a historical flashback of the intense phenomena that hit Thessaly. “The largest flood, previously in Trikala, is that of 1907. In the afternoon hours of Monday, June 4, it began to be darkened by dark clouds and in a short time there was a severe bad weather, which continued all night and resulted in the Lithian river overflowing especially in the region of Koutsomylia. But also within the city the waters passed over the central metal bridge and flooded almost the entire city due to another dam, some watercourse, which existed near the Massacres. From the Pichtu Bridge a bow collapsed. The inhabitants of Trikala were terrified to go up to tall houses or trees, as well as mainly to the houses of the Patikai, Mania and Suliotis. Those who fled to the last (48 people) were all drowned. Overall the victims of this flood are estimated from two hundred (200) to three hundred (300), while the homes that collapsed were over a thousand two hundred.” In this way Dr. History and president of the Philological, Historical, Literary Association of Trikala Theodoros Nimas describes the greatest flood that hit Western Thessaly in a multi-page research published in the last, 13th volume of the scientific journal “Thessalian Studies”. Flooding phenomena, according to him, were caused and will be caused, when the rainwaters are too many and the riverbeds do not fit them, either because of the soil configuration, or because of inappropriate human interventions by which these are limited or failure to clean up the bed. Already, the ancient geographer Strabo (64 B.C.-24 C.E.) states that Pinius was overflowing and his waters were streaming: “The ghar is drinking through the middle of the mountains, and many receiving rivers are over many times. The same old thing, and it was low, the word.” The most well known major floods In the study of T.Nimas, the known major floods in Thessaly are listed chronologically: 1) October 1540. Continuous rainfall for 30 days “breathed” the Damasi Larissis. 2) December 27, 1647. After 24 hours of rainfall in Trikala and Larissa the second where the water reached over 1500 homes and there were over 800 dead. 3) 1673. The “mahalas” of Agios Athanasios was flooded in Elassona. 4) 1684. Due to many rains the Pinius overflowed and “suffered” half of Larissa. 5) February 8, 1729. Pinios flooded and there were major disasters in Larissa (Arnaut, Pera and Tabakika districts), Trikala, as well as Moshurouri from the mouth of the Onochon River (Sofaditikos). 6) February 2, 1777. From the overflow of Pinios was flooded by Larissa and all the houses of Pera mahala, all Kalyvia, the area of Agia Marina, Kyoski “allon” and two small settlements nearby. 7) March 26, 1784, Great Tuesday. It rained heavily in the Kalabaka area and the rivers flooded. 8) April 1796. “Nick rain” in Meteora. 9) November 1, 1804. According to a reminder in a church book of Flamouli, Pinios overflowed with a consequence of falling down houses and breaking down the newly parted wheat from the water that flooded them from the height of Megarch to Flamuli. Then the inhabitants of Pyrgetos, the Holy Monastery and the Stefanosites (Drosseros) passed the rivers with carrots, while the Kalyvivians “accompanied” the “karavi”. 10) 4–5 August 1811. Long rainfall lasting 40 hours resulted in flooding torrents south of Larissa and hitting its districts. After these disasters some flood – fighting works (hods in the south of the city) took place in Larissa to channel the rainwaters into the Pinius River. The cost amounted to the sum of 16,748,10 grosses paid by Christians. 11) 1826. From the overflow of the Pinius a flood was caused, which caused many disasters in Larissa and around it. 12) December 8, 1836. According to a reminder in an ecclesiastical book of the village of Karyes Trikala, from the overflow of rivers “suffered” villages of the plain of Trikala. Houses were destroyed and many animals drowned (sheep, horses, cows). 13) September 23, 1840. Flood in the area of Meteora Kalabakas. 14) Summer 1842. It rained all summer in the area west of Koziaka. 15) Early 1882. From the overflow of the Pinium Larisa flooded and major disasters were caused. 16) 14-15 October 1883. A 48-hour rainfall caused a flood in Larissa resulting in 20 people losing their lives, about 300 homes and other infrastructure being destroyed. On 20 October “special” correspondent of “Epherid” in Larissa sent a detailed description of the flooding that hit Larissa mainly but also other cities and villages in Thessaly; This was published on 26 October 1883 under the headline: “AI IN THESSALIA PLOMYRAI”. 17) During the period between 1883 and 1886 the Lithian river was flooded very often because of a dam that existed in Karamalis position and caused destruction in the city of Trikala. 18) November 16, 1901. Great flooding in Larissa and the overflow of Pinios, whose waters fully covered the first five openings of the large stone archer bridge and flooded large areas in the area of Alcazar and Perahala that had changed to islands. 19) 4–5 June 1907. The largest flood, formerly in Trikala, is that of 1907. Detailed description at the beginning of the report. 20) September 1908. There’s a big flood in Larissa again. The 27 dead in Volos 21) October 13, 1955. After a major storm the city of Volos was flooded with flooding of the rivers (winter) Anaurus resulting in 27 people losing their lives, for many residents of the city lived in tents due to the strong 6.2 Richter earthquake of 19 April of the same year that destroyed many homes and left about 3,500 people homeless. 22) November 5, 1986. Flood in Zagora Magnesia caused home disasters. 23) October 21, 1994. A great flood caused disasters in Karditsa, while the village Metamorphosis sank all in water and mud. 24) October 2006. A great flood struck Volos again. The city resembled an immense lake and N. Magnesia was declared in a state of “an emergency”. Great damage was suffered by Volos, Agria and Horto. The city of Volos remained stranded for a long time because bus buses and trains could not be moved. 25) December 10, 2009. Volos was again flooded due to lack of floodwater projects. 26) September 19, 2020. An unprecedented bad weather struck the whole of Thessaly and more the Karditsis Prefecture where it caused biblical disasters. The city of Karditsa was flooded with water, while the village Metamorph was plunged whole into the waters and muds. Other villages in the area of Palamas and Farsala flooded. In Muzaki because of the overflow of the river Pamisus (Bluri) collapsed the Health Center built on a blocked part of the river. In Almyros the river Xerias flooded and the bridge over it was destroyed. 27) September 6, 2023. A great flood struck the city of Volos and villages of southern Pelion, especially Milina and Platanias. From river overflow (water) Crays were flooded or destroyed houses and shops, many cars were buried in the mudslides and several drifted into the sea. In particular the area behind the Old district of Volos and the vertical coastal roads Karabudgeki and Zachos, as well as Byzantium Street had been converted into a vast lake. The overflow of Pine 28) 5–7 September 2023. Cataract rain for two consecutive days (Tuesday and Wednesday 5–6 Sep.) resulted in the Pinian river and its tributaries flooding in Western Thessaly. Some flood dams were broken and the villages of N. Karditsis located near the confluence of Enipea with Pinios, i.e. Palamas, Blochos, Metamorphosis, Koskinas and Marathea, became an vast lake. So is the neighboring village of Keramidi, as well as the town of Farkadona, N. Trikala. Especially Keramidi and Metamorphosis were buried under water and mud and have become uninhabited. 11 people drowned from the floods. The villages of Megali Kalivia and Agia Kyriaki of N. Trikalon were also damaged by flooding of the river Pamisos (Bliouri) coming from Mouzaki and contributing to Pinios before the bridge of Karavoporos on Trikala – Karditsa. Most farm animals (sheep, pigs, etc.), as well as poultry, drowned while the fields for some years could not be cultivated due to mud and soil contamination. Since the overflow of Pinios at the height of Larissa, this left-hand district of Yannoulis has been flooded and major disasters have occurred. But many villages south of Larissa, especially in the coastal area, were hit by floods and suffered major disasters. Typical of the magnitude of the flood is the unprecedented fact that the highway is flooded by the waters Athens – Thessaloniki at the height of N. Larissa and stop transportation. The same happened in part of the Lariss – Trikala highway. In the villages of the plain of Karditsis and Trikala some houses collapsed while all the rest almost became uninhabited, and their household buildings were completely destroyed. 29) In the city of Trikala in the evening 6/7 September 2023 the Lithaeus river overflowed in the area of Gourna, under the church of Agios Stefanos, thus covering the adjacent streets of Amalia (left) and Kanuta – Kalamata (right); It also overflowed in the districts of Agios Konstantinos and Koutsomylia. In the districts of Bara, Karamali, Trikki and around Patoulia Street, east of Trikala Stadium, due to the volume of rainwaters and the flooding of the soil, flooded the underground and semi-underground resulting in the destruction of all the habitats and any other things in them, and the books kept there were also destroyed. An electricity and water supply problem existed in both the city of Trikala and many villages. 30) September 27, 2023. From a new major rainfall the villages of the Municipality of Killeler, N. Larissa, flooded. These were: The Armenian, from which residents left in time not to drown. The same happened in the village of Sotirius, where water exceeded a meter. Something similar happened in the village of Niki. The village of Achilles was in danger from the waters of Lake Carla. In the villages of Namata and Halki the water passed outside the settlements. The overflow of the Enipea river caused damage to the villages of Farsala Small and Great Eudrio, Pyrgakia and Hyperia. The crops in the lowlands of these areas were completely destroyed. 31) In the same days (end of September) new natural disasters again hit the city of Volos with great ferocity, as the river Kraysids overflowed. Many areas, apart from home damage and other facilities, were left without water and electricity. In Nea Ionia and the nearby villages of Agria and Alykes several residents were excluded in homes or cars. Transportation from Volos to Larissa and South Pelion was discontinued. Speaking to the Athenian – Macedonian News Agency Mr.Theodoros Nimas points out as an epilogue to the above: “The rivers were created by rains and floods and their waters follow the natural law. Any missed interference in their course and removing part of their bed usually has painful consequences. River overflows and floods were happening and will happen. The point is that people should be taught by them and not repeat the same mistakes.”