An emergency meeting was held at 9 am by the Regional Civil Protection Coordinating Body of of the Halkidiki Regional Unitat the premises of the Fire Services N. Halkidiki in Polygyros, on the occasion of “Hazardous Weather Emergency Bulletin – Special Warning Signal” which was issued by the Unified Coordination Center for Operations and Crisis Management (ESKEDIK.) for the bad weather under the name “Bora».

The Services of the Halkidiki Regional Unit, according to a relevant announcement, are on alert and ready to deal with incidents from the upcoming weather phenomena and draw the attention of all citizens and visitors of the prefecture of Halkidiki to observe the protection instructions.

In particular, residents of areas that have had problems with flooding in the past and have been informed of the occurrence of heavy rainfall in their area should follow the following instructions:

Make sure the wells outside your home are not blocked and the gutters are working properly. Limit your movements and avoid working and staying in underground spaces.

If you are inside a building, leave underground areas and move to a safe high point.

If you are in an open area, do not cross a stream on foot or by car. Stay away from power lines. Abandon your car if it is immobilized as it may be swept away or flooded.

Do not approach areas where landslides have occurred.

Avoid outdoor work and activities in marine and coastal areas during severe weather events (risk of lightning strikes).

Take shelter immediately during a hailstorm. Take shelter in a building or car and do not leave the safe area until they are sure the storm has passed. Hail can be very dangerous for animals too.

Avoid passing under large trees, under posted signs and in general areas where light objects (eg pots, broken glass etc.) can become detached and fall to the ground (eg under balconies).

The instructions also apply to the period after the flood and are as follows:

If you are outdoors, stay away from areas that have flooded or are at risk of flooding again in the next few hours. The flood may have changed the characteristics of familiar areas and the waters may have swept away parts of the road, sidewalks, etc. They pose risks from broken road surfaces, areas with a dangerous slope, mudflows, etc., while the waters may be polluted if they have carried away with them waste, objects and dead animals.

Be careful not to obstruct rescue crews.

Do not approach areas that have experienced landslides and rockfalls.

Check if your home or workplace is at risk from falling rocks.

If you must walk or drive through flooded areas.

Try to find firm ground.

Avoid running water.

If you find yourself in front of a flooded road, stop and change direction.

Avoid standing water. They may make good electrical conductors as they hide underground cables or facility leaks.

Follow the instructions of the competent authorities.

Finally, special attention is recommended to the Irish crossings, i.e. the points of the road network where the road is crossed by streams and there is no bridge and in which, to facilitate the local traffic of vehicles, a rough construction solution with concrete paving is applied, called the Irish crossing. “It is forbidden to cross an Irish crossing on foot or by vehicle when it is flooded. Your life is in danger! Do not overestimate the capabilities of your vehicle. It is better to go a few kilometers more by choosing another route, so that you can reach your destination safely”, the statement says, which concludes by asking citizens to pay special attention to avoid fishing boats, due to the gale force winds that may occur to hit the sea areas of Halkidiki, due to the upcoming stormy winds.