Storm Bora made its presence felt in Greece on Saturday with two deaths confirmed in Lemnos, as gusty winds blew in the Aegean Sea, severe flooding across the country and snowfalls in the mountains.
Emergency services recorded over 290 calls for help by Saturday night.
Residents of the village of Kontia on Lemnos were called to evacuate the area with an automated 112 message. They were asked to move to the town of Myrina due to the overflow of the local dam.
A 57-year-old cattle farmer, whose family had been searching for since the onset of bad weather on the island, was found dead by firefighters in the area of Kontia, Lemnos.
It was reported that the 57-year-old had gone missing in the area of the dam of Kontia, which was flooded. Police sources said the 57-year-old drowned when he was swept away by the rushing waters while trying to pull his car out of the mud in a torrent where he had become trapped.
A 112 message was issued for Lemnos, warning of dangerous weather conditions and calling for travel restrictions.
A video posted by Limnos Report shows the extreme flooding .
In addition, a 70-year-old man was fatally injured in the head while cleaning the steps of his house in Kontia, where bad weather was prevailing.
The man was taken to Myrina Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Flooding in Rhodes
The villages of Pastida, Kremasti, Ialyssos and Maritsa were the focus of devastating weather and heavy rainfall on the island of Rhodes, with roads flooded and vehicles immobilised on the main roads.
The civil protection authority of the Municipality and the Region, in cooperation with the Rhodes Fire Service, responded to the incidents.
The coordination centre instructed Greek Police to close the roads in the wider area for passing vehicles, in order to prevent any more serious problems.
According to statements by officials of the Municipality of Rhodes, fire brigade, voluntary groups, and civil protection authorities and others had all been coordinating, while every effort was being made in the midst of the adverse weather conditions, to minimize problems.
The Mayor of Rhodes, Alexandros Koliadis, was in the affected areas, together with staff members, in order to assess the situation and take immediate decisions, if necessary.
The 112 emergency messaging system also sounded on the phones of thousands of residents of the island, sending a warning message to avoid travelling due to the adverse weather conditions.
The Independent Civil Protection Office on the island appealed to residents of the areas of Ialyssos, Pastis, Maritses and Damatria to stay in their homes and avoid any movement, both within and to and from them.
“The passage of vehicles and pedestrians is deemed unsafe due to the intense flooding that has occurred. Please follow instructions and recommendations. Everyone’s safety is a priority,” the civil protection office stated.
Very strong storm warnings for Attica, Eastern Macedonia and Thessaly
The Civil Protection Office sent a 112 message to mobile phones, warning citizens of very heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and gusty winds affecting the regions of Central Macedonia and Thessaly.
A 112 message was also sent to residents of Attica about Storm Bora affecting the country. The message warned of local strong storms and urged citizens to be careful when travelling.
Rainfall in Central Macedonia – Snow in Western Macedonia
Heavy rainfall occurred in all prefectures of Central Macedonia. On the Moudania – Sarti road, as well as outside Platanitsi in Halkidiki and on the old provincial road network Veroia – Kozani, the road surface was covered with stones and mud. These areas were cleaned using special equipment of the Region of Central Macedonia. In the centre of Thessaloniki, strong winds caused tree falls.
Snowfalls were recorded in the area of the Voras – Kaimaktsalan Ski Centre, where the use of chains was considered necessary, as well as in the mountainous areas of Western Macedonia.
In addition, the traffic of vehicles was carried out with anti-slip chains on roads in Florina.
