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Autumn storm wreaking havoc in Athens

25 October 2014 / 19:10:19  GRReporter
3264 reads

The storm that broke out at noon on Friday in Attica and continued until the evening caused major damage. Many areas have turned into lakes, roads resembled rivers and hundreds of shop and home basements were flooded. Miraculously there were no casualties, even though in many streets the waters hindered pedestrians, and motorists got trapped in their cars. Eight drivers experienced dramatic moments in an underground parking lot of a supermarket in Ilion. A citizen, who spoke to protothema.gr, said the carpark had been flashflooded within minutes, trapping the motorists inside. With water levels rising, people managed to get out by clutching onto one another and forming a chain. Someone's mother slipped and nearly lost her life. 

The fire service said the actual amount of damage will pan out on Saturday, once the waters recede. Until 8 pm Friday the service had received more than 600 calls for flooded premises.

The storm wreaked the worst havoc in Peristeri, Anthoupoli, Ilion, Menidi, Kamatero, Nea Filadelfeia, Keratsini, Piraeus, Kokinia, Aigaleo and Korydallos. Torrents were dragging along cars and people. Sometimes their power was so overwhelming that cars were piled on top of one another.

In Peristeri plenty of cars were dragged along by the currents, with water levels reaching 50 cm in some places.

On Thivon Avenue, where it intersects with Idomeneos, drivers were trapped in their cars and released by the fire service.

In Himari streaming water inundated the entrance of Attica hospital. The fire service had to clear the passage for the sick.

Stormy winds – up to 7-8, or even 9 degrees on the Beaufort scale – caused shipping problems.

According to the Coast Guard, seaplanes and catamarans are not running from Piraeus to the Argosaronic Gulf islands. The islands can only be reached by closed-type marine vessels.

The ferry lines Agia Marina-Nea Styra and Salamis-Piraeus remain closed. Ships are travelling from Salamis to Perama.

Since 4 pm yesterday, the Kavala-Thassos shipping routes have not been serviced.

Bad weather has disrupted the Diakofto–Kalavryta section on the Piraeus-Rendi railway. Thessaloniki-Athens trains have suffered delays due to flooding in the Menidi area.

Gale-force winds and driving rain have blighted the Thessaloniki area as well. Dozens of fallen trees and flash floods have required interventions by the fire service. Wind gusts have toppled trees over cars and electric wires. Infrastructure and properties have been damaged; the eastern part of the Thessaloniki region has suffered cuts in power supplies. Crews of the DEI electric company are working to restore electric lines.

Bad weather caused mayhem in the region of Ierissos, Chalkidiki. The fire service had to intervene to remove fallen trees and drain housing or infrastructure.

The situation is similar in the Peloponnese, where the areas of Tripoli and Skiritida have been affected. Strong rains in Tripoli yesterday afternoon led to the falling of a car into a ditch; luckily the driver was not hurt. Traffic in the area has been halted.

In the Skiritida area, between Kerasea and Vlahokerasia, strong winds have felled tree branches over the road and DEI poles, resulting in power cuts. DEI and fire service crews are dealing with the issues.

 

 

Tags: storm flood chaos damage Athens
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