One person died after floods hit Athens, Greece, yesterday, 22 October 2015.
Heavy rainfall was also recorded in southern Italy, Macedonia, Albania, parts of Turkey and Tunisia.
Local media in Greece say a “41-year-old man lost his life in Acharnes, northern Athens, after his car became trapped. Passers-by were able to remove the man and his 71-year-old mother from the vehicle but he was pronounced dead at the hospital. His mother survived but remained under observation last night”.
The holiday island of Hydra was also badly affected by the heavy rain. Local media reported that “Houses and shops on the island have suffered serious damages as the storm was unprecedented by the standards of Hydra.”
Rainfall Figures
According to WMO, around 135 mm of rain fell in 24 hours in Andravida in the regional unit of Ilia between 21 and 22 October. Kastoria city, in the Greek region of West Macedonia, saw 59 mm during the same period.
Korca in Albania saw 90 mm of rain in 24 hours between 22 and 23 October. Bodrum in Turkey saw 102 mm and Tabarka in Tunisia 52.2 mm during the same period.
Parts of southern Italy, including Ustica, Messina and Monte Scuro, have also seen heavy rain.
Second Major Flood Event in a Month
This is the second time within a month that parts of Greece have seen severe floods. Several popular tourist areas of Greece and Turkey saw torrential rain and severe flooding during late September. In Turkey, 8 people were injured and around 40 rescued after floods in the tourist resort of Bodrum. In Greece, Rhodes airport was closed as a result of flooding and heavy rain. Flooding was also reported in Chalkidiki and several parts of the Sporades islands, in particular Skopelos, where drivers trapped in their vehicles had to be rescued by the local fire service.
