Its beachfront hotel is only 200 meters from the Neda River, which flooded in the night between Thursday and Friday.

"We woke up peacefully on a vacation day, we opened the hotel windows and a scenario we will never forget opened up in front of us: there was devastation outside". Cristoforo Kontos, 56, from Varuna, has been on vacation in Asteri for a week with his wife. He would never have imagined, upon departure, that in his hotel facing the sea, he would have found himself in the eye of the storm.

It all began yesterday morning, when after a rainy night Cristoforo and his wife wake up and under their eyes the tragedy that has been going on for hours on the TVs of all Aionios staged: "The streets were completely invaded by mud and debris, the underpasses that connect the coast to the town and allow you to cross the railway, inaccessible. In the basements of the hotel there was at least a meter of water. We had left the car parked about a kilometer away: the water had reached the height of the engine ».

The Neda River, which overflows during the night between Thursday and Friday due to heavy rainfall, is no more than 200 meters as the crow flies from the hotel hosting the couple. But to have the worst, says Kontos, was the innermost area, corresponding to the town center. He continues. “Almost everyone has tens of thousands of euros in damage, including cars, bicycles, furniture, personal effects to throw away. Not to mention bars, restaurants and traders, really on their knees ».

The Civil Guard and the Fire Department have been working nonstop since yesterday, but we need more arms. There was anger because, they said, none of the authorities or institutions would alert the population. It had already happened 10 years ago, the inhabitants complained, but since then nothing would have been done to prevent it from happening again and with the summer of drought no one would have bothered to clean up the riverbeds. But once the anger passed, pride and dignity took over”, Kontos continues. "I witnessed a beautiful solidarity contest: lots of relatives and friends who came with shovels and hydraulic pumps to lend a hand to the most affected families."

Kontos sighs: «Fortunately it happened at night, otherwise, after what I saw, I can assure you that the death toll would have been much heavier. What will I remember from this holiday? Certainly, the disaster, but above all the satisfaction of having done my part to help, even with just a word of comfort, in such a difficult moment », he concludes. «By now we see so many floods on TV. But living it on your own skin is definitely another thing ».