## 2 Study Area
### Medicare Ianos Event  
In mid-September 2020, a depression that formed near the Libyan coast in the northwest of the Gulf of Sidra developed into a Mediterranean cyclone (medicane), which moved north towards the Ionian Sea and SW Greece. The medicane, named \"Ianos\", hit land on 18 September 2020 in Greece, affecting a large part of the country from Crete (southern Greece) to Thessaly (central Greece), causing severe damage to property and infrastructure induced by intense precipitation, flash flooding, strong winds and wave action. It also caused human casualties [70].  
The system affected the central Ionian Islands (Lefkada, Cephalonia, Ithaki, and Zakynthos), the northwestern Pelponomese, as well as central Thessaly and other areas of central Greece, causing widespread flooding and associated disasters [68; 70; 72; 73]. Then, heading towards southern Greece, it weakened until its final completion on 21 September.  
During its destructive route, Ianos exhibited strong winds, heavy rainfall, and thunderstorms. Based on the recordings of the EAA weather stations, the maximum rainfall in Western Greece was recorded in the Ionian Islands (reaching an accumulated value of 769 mm and 250 mm on Cephalonia and Zakynthos Islands, respectively, in 48 h [68]. Its impacts, apart from the four fatalities, extended to coastal and inland rural and urban areas and were observed on vegetation, properties, vehicles, and boats. It also impacted the infrastructure, including parts of the road network and health facilities and structures, railway lines, power supply network, drinking water, and telecommunications, as well as coastal infrastructure, including port facilities and coastal roads, across the island (Figure 4) [70].  
Figure 4: Spatial distribution of sites affected by Medicare Ianos in Cephalonia Island. _EP_: Erissos Peninsula; CS: Charakas site; KM: Kalon Mt; _PV_: Pylaros valley; _TV_: Thinia Valley; _ADM_: Agia Dynati Mt; _AM_: Aenos Mt; _AP_: Argostoli peninsula. The study area of Myrtos is located at the western end of Pylaros valley corresponding to the transition zone from the Erissos peninsula to the mountainous central Cephalonia.  
The most striking effects were reported in Assos, Agia Efimia, and Mytros coastal areas [70]. In Assos, material from debris and mud flows covered parts of the road network and rushed into public and private areas, causing traffic disruption, vehicle entrapment in parts of the road network, and blocking houses for several days until debris removal (Figure 5). The debris flooded the coastal front and partially covered the road, the harbor, and adjacent beaches, altering the landscape (Figure 5). Furthermore, vessels in the port suffered damage not only from the strong sea waves but also from debris from flows and floods (Figure 5).  
In Agia Efimia, vehicles parked along the road network were swept away by flood waters and overturned, resulting in severe damage and in some cases complete destruction. The flood waters carried away objects of various dimensions from the exterior and interior of residential buildings, which accumulated in the coastal zone, creating additional problems in the operation of the networks and the implementation of restoration operations.