The Bora storm raging over Greece has resulted in the death of at least two people. Heavy rain caused particular difficulties on the Greek islands – on Lemnos, a dam overflowed and many buildings were damaged. A road traffic ban has been issued in Rhodes.
Over Greece Storm Bora has been raging since Friday evening. Many regions remained dangerous on Sunday, with warnings covering islands in the Aegean Sea, Attica, Thessaly and the northern reaches of the country. According to local media, difficult weather conditions are expected to last until Sunday afternoon.
Two fatalities
According to local media, the death toll from Bora has increased to two. Both victims were found on the island of Lemnos in the Aegean Sea. The rising water carried away a 57-year-old farmer when he tried to pull out his car that was stuck in the mud. The body of another man was found in a flooded house on the same island – the 70-year-old died from a fatal head injury.
The downpours caused a number of difficulties on the island. A dam overflowed near the town of Kontia, forcing the authorities to issue an evacuation order. The manager of Lemnos, Eleonora Georga, reported extensive damage, including flooded houses, and possible contamination of drinking water. Roads and electrical infrastructure were also damaged.
Road traffic ban
It has been raining non-stop in Rhodes for 16 hours – as estimated by the eKathimerini portal, during this time 300 liters of water fell per square meter. Heavy rains flooded streets, houses and farmlands. There will be a road traffic ban on the island until Monday due to possible landslides and difficult weather conditions. Authorities said roads remained impassable in many places.
Rhodes emergency services said they had received about 600 calls by Sunday morning, 60 of which were for help in evacuating people to safer places. Several dozen rescuers were sent to the island by special flight to help.
Main photo source: Reuters