Storms kill two, cause widespread damage
Two people died on Monday after being hit by lighting in heavy storms as the weather took a sharp turn for the worse.
A 73-year-old woman was killed when a storm struck the island of Salamina, while a 52-year-old farmer died in the area of Kynouria, in the Peloponnese. Extensive damage to homes and businesses was recorded when whirlwinds hit areas on the outskirts of Kalamata, in the western Peloponnese, and Laconia, in the peninsula’s southeast.
In the municipality of Evrota, in Laconia, more than 100 businesses suffered damage and the roofs of many homes were destroyed. The mayor of Evrota, Ioannis Grypiotis, described a chaotic scene in comments to Kathimerini, referring to “demolished homes, overturned cars, upheaval on the roads and panicked residents.”
Heavy rain in Patra and Attica provoked floods. In Patra, the fire service received dozens of calls to pump out floodwater from basement stores and homes.
The regional governor of the Peloponnese, Petros Tatoulis, said a committee of experts had been set up to assess the extent of the damage wreaked to businesses, farms and infrastructure in the area.
In Attica, more than 100 stores and businesses were flooded.
