Location: Greece
Due to the ongoing wildfires in the vicinity of Athens and the continuing high risk of fires in many regions of Greece, the U.S. Mission in Greece is sending a reminder to U.S. citizens about Greek government resources for natural disaster information and alerts. The General Secretariat for Civil Protection has announced Very High Fire Risk (Risk Category 4) and Extreme Fire Risk (Risk Category 5) for many areas in Greece, including areas close to Athens, which can be seen on the Daily Fire Risk Map. This high risk of fire is expected to continue in the coming days. U.S. citizens should exercise extreme caution in affected areas. Civil Protection authorities are coordinating evacuations as needed from affected areas. Wildfires may create additional disruptions in the wider areas, such as power and/or water outages, poor air quality, and road closures.
U.S. citizens living in or traveling near any of the affected areas should follow instructions from local authorities and closely monitor the local media and emergency alerts. If you receive an order to evacuate (including via smart phone emergency alert message), follow the Greek authorities’ evacuation orders immediately. The following resources contain official information about the wildfires:
· Civil Protection Announcements
· Civil Protection Forest Fire Self-Protection Guidelines
· Daily Fire Prediction Map
· Hellenic Fire Service
Actions to Take:
· Follow all Greek government announcements and instructions.
· Register with Greece’s Emergency Communications Service for warning messages by SMS, e-mail, or voicemail if you don’t have a smart phone. Registration is not required if you have a smartphone.
· Call the Fire Service call center at 199 to report a fire.
· Call the Emergency Communications Service at 112 for emergency assistance.
· Check with airlines or the Athens International Airport (+30-210-353-0000), or Thessaloniki International Airport for Northern Greece (+30-2310-985000) if service or transportation routes may be affected.
· If you receive an order to evacuate (including via smart phone emergency alert message), follow the Greek authorities’ evacuation orders immediately.
· Carry identity and travel documents with you at all times.
· U.S. citizens who travel abroad should always have a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the Traveler’s Checklist.
· Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive Alerts.
Assistance:
U.S. Embassy Athens
+(30) 210-721-2951
AthensAmericanCitizenServices@state.gov
https://gr.usembassy.gov
U.S. Consulate General Thessaloniki
+(30) 231-037-6300
State Department – Consular Affairs
+1 (888) 407-4747 or +1 (202) 501-4444
Greece Country Information
Enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) to receive security updates
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