Man dies as floodwaters sweep his car away on Rhodes
A 62-year-old man died on the Greek island of Rhodes on Wednesday after floodwaters swept his car away, Reuters and Proto Thema reported. Four cars were washed away near Stegna beach. Rhodes was put under a state of emergency, and schools are closed Thursday, Kathimerini reported.
A 62-year-old man died on the Greek island of Rhodes on Wednesday after a torrent of water swept his car away during a heavy rainstorm, Reuters and Proto Thema reported. Proto Thema and Kathimerini reported that the car was swept into the sea, while Reuters reported that it was swept onto a beach.
The man was a hotel worker who had gone to collect his car, Proto Thema reported. The Hellenic Coast Guard recovered his body off Stegna beach, near the village of Archangelos. Four cars were washed into the sea there, the coast guard said, Proto Thema reported. Reuters said the body was found near a small seaside village about 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the town of Rhodes.
Rhodes was placed under a state of emergency, Kathimerini reported. All schools on the island will stay closed Thursday so inspections and damage checks can be done, and residents were told to travel only when they must. Emergency services on Rhodes received 113 calls for help, Kathimerini reported.
Rain turned roads into rivers in several areas, including Faliraki and Archangelos, and left dozens of vehicles stranded, Proto Thema reported. Bus services in Rhodes town were halted for a time. Lindos and other archaeological sites, along with the Palace of the Grand Master, were closed to protect visitors and staff, Proto Thema reported.
The storm hit other parts of Greece, too. Seven areas, including Attica, Crete and the South Aegean region, were under the highest-level red alert through the end of Wednesday, Proto Thema reported. On the island of Evia, residents of one area received an emergency alert ordering them to evacuate after a river overflowed its banks, Proto Thema reported.
Strong northerly winds of up to force 9 on the Beaufort scale were forecast across the Aegean Sea through late Wednesday, Kathimerini and Proto Thema reported. A sailing ban was in force at the ports of Piraeus and Lavrio until 3 p.m. Wednesday, Proto Thema said. Conditions were easing in most of the country, but rain and storms were expected to continue in the east and south, Kathimerini reported.
What we know: One man died on Rhodes after floodwaters swept his car away, and the island is under a state of emergency.
What we don't: How much damage the storm caused across Rhodes and other islands.
Where outlets agree Reuters, Proto Thema and Kathimerini all report that a 62-year-old man died on Rhodes on Wednesday after floodwaters swept his car away.
Where they differ Proto Thema and Kathimerini report that the man's car was swept into the sea, while Reuters reports that the torrent swept it onto a beach.