Greece Issues Urgent Flood Preparedness Orders, Including Evacuation Plans

Greece is ordering municipalities and regional authorities to accelerate preparations for the 2026-2027 winter period amid fears of flooding. The instructions focus particularly on high-risk drainage basins and areas where wildfires have destroyed natural vegetation.

Regional authorities must inspect and, where necessary, clear streambeds. They must also maintain flood-control works and rainwater networks and speed up projects already under way. Municipalities face similar duties for infrastructure under their control, along with planning new interventions where needed.

The guidance places special emphasis on cleaning and maintaining drains, grates and pipes in urban areas. Authorities should repeat the work after major rain events.

Municipalities and regions must also prepare or update organised preventive evacuation plans for floods. They are being asked to update emergency contacts, contractor registers and lists of available machinery and operators. They must record temporary shelter sites and identify safe buildings in areas at high risk of flooding.

By the first half of September, technical services must list and map dangerous points, including places where roads cross streams, interchanges and crossings. The information will be shared with the Hellenic Police for traffic planning during severe weather. So-called Irish crossings must receive warning signs, and residents are told not to cross them when covered by water because people and vehicles can be swept away.