Reports of Horrendous Flooding

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Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby D and E » 13 Nov 2017, 20:23

We are seeing some terrible flooding on Symi via Facebook.
Torrents of water destroying vehicles and we assume property.
Hoping there is no loss of life.
Our thoughts are with Symi.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby silverfox » 13 Nov 2017, 22:28

Hoping everyone is safe and there is not too much damage!

At least we know our holiday money will be spent on the island next year!

I'm sure every euro will help!

Our thoughts are with you all on Symi.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby JuliaB » 13 Nov 2017, 22:55

Thinking of everyone on Symi. It's difficult to imagine such conditions on an island that we associate with blue skies and sunshine.

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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby Eliza » 14 Nov 2017, 00:31

Don't know what's happening posts are disappearing on Facebook. Sorry must be my computer all posts are back.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby Andy W » 14 Nov 2017, 07:49

Most people who see Symi in the summer just don't realise how severe the weather can be in winter. I've certainly seen the harbour stained red by runoff water and the area around the end of the harbour flooded, but the sheer ferocity of some of the temporary rivers yesterday makes this a very much worse storm than most.
Believe it or not, some weather forecasts were predicting light rain. Those who believed them may not have taken the necessary precautions - such as moving vehicles out of the roadways that double up as river beds.
Unfortunately we won't hear much about the safety of those we know until power is restored as internet or mobile communications all require power in one form or another. Daylight now will at least allow the start of damage assessment, but whether it is safe for people to leave the buildings they are in, we just don't know.

Edited to add - some communications have been restored, there has been no loss of life and water levels have dropped leaving masses of boulders and mud. The Panagia Skiadeni has made a special sailing from Rhodes with earth moving and heavy lifting equipment, and the army is much in evidence. Damage seems significant in Yialos, no photos from Chorio yet this morning.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby Gemma1 » 14 Nov 2017, 08:59

Relieved and very pleased to hear that there has been no loss of life on Symi as the sight of all that water and the state of some of the cars was terrible. I hope none of the houses are badly damaged.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby Andy W » 14 Nov 2017, 10:55

Now we've also seen photos from Chorio. Doesn't look like any inhabited properties there are severely damaged. Some ruins are, well, more ruined, and some paths and lanes have been torn up by the force of the water, with the materials deposited around the village. Power is back on.

Another update: http://www.symidream.com/ reports that one inhabited house in Chorio was badly damaged but the occupant was evacuated safely before the damage happened.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby Allan » 14 Nov 2017, 20:35

I've seen so many pictures of poor Symi today on social media and it really is heartbreaking.

It was heartening though to see pictures of the earthmoving equipment driving off the unscheduled Panagia Skiadeni along with army personnel and, it seems, the Hellenic Red Cross rescue team.
It is going to take many months and a lot of very hard work before Symi is back looking its best but the speed of the rescue effort is very impressive.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby Allan » 15 Nov 2017, 17:31

Just a bit more information for those not following this disaster on social media:

The Solidarity Symi organisation is taking donations to help with the clean up.

ss.jpg


Alternatively there is a "Go Fund Me" fund-raiser specifically to raise money to help in the clean up and repair of the island's schools. Click this link:

https://www.gofundme.com/storm-repair-for-symi-schools

As I type this, they have raised over 2000 Euros in just 19 hours.

It's worth visiting that page even if you don't want to donate, it has a lot of pictures showing heartbreaking damage done to poor Symi. This is one example:

damage.jpg
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby D and E » 15 Nov 2017, 20:05

Thanks Allan for including the GoFundMe link - so easy to use and delighted to see such an impressive sum being built up in such a short time.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby peterv » 16 Nov 2017, 15:01

There is an alternative, in that Next Stop Symi, a UK registered charity is accepting donations on behalf of Solidarity Symi. All donations from UK residents through NSS will benefit from Gift Aid. If paying into the bank, please add Symi Floods to the payment details, thank you.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby Allan » 16 Nov 2017, 23:42

D and E wrote:Thanks Allan for including the GoFundMe link - so easy to use and delighted to see such an impressive sum being built up in such a short time.

And now, 24 hours later the fund is well over 6,500 Euros :o

I've never knowingly met Anna Panton who started the GoFundMe but I'm very grateful she decided to do something to help and chose such a simple robust platform to take the donations. I've chipped in too, along with (currently) 106 other people from all over the world. It's truly heartening to see just how many people want to help.

Seeing the pictures makes me want to pack my wellies and go do something but it's obvious that unless I could pack wellies and a JCB I wouldn't be a lot of help so contributing a little cash towards rebuild the wrecked schools is an good alternative.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby JeanW » 17 Nov 2017, 01:25

Hello Allan, Anna is a young lady who has worked as a waitress at the Mediteranneo Café at the top of the harbour, her family have a home on Symi. Well done to Anna for taking the initiative and starting the
GoFundMe. Whilst not being able to offer practical help from here in the UK, we can at least send a donation.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby Allan » 17 Nov 2017, 16:18

Thanks for that information Jean. I'd kind-of guessed from hints on Facebook who Anna was likely to be but I've never actually "met" her. I'll make an effort to track her down next year and thank her in person.

I think we can be sure that the money (Now nearing 8000 Euros!) will be spent wisely.
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby Allan » 17 Feb 2018, 20:46

I thought I'd resurrect this thread to update with the situation as far as I am aware.
The clean up is continuing within many of the affected businesses and there seems to be a determination that everything will be back to normal for the start of the season, traditionally around Orthodox Easter time.

Anna Panton's Gufundme fundraiser has reached a truly astonishing €16,792 from 184 donors and they have already begun distributing some of the funds, starting with €800 to fund a new electric piano for the music school that was destroyed in the storms.

The kindergarten was so badly damaged that it will need to be rebuilt and if I understand the translation of this post correctly Blue Star Ferries have offered €30,000 to rebuild the school. :o https://parapona-rodou.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/blue-star-ferries-30000.html

Well done Blue Star!
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Re: Reports of Horrendous Flooding

Postby Kon » 18 Feb 2018, 02:34

There was also a story of Authorities fining residents who have built walls after their houses were damaged by the storms . Apparently they didn't meet the heritage rules , sounds like the government money dipping excuses again .
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