Flood that claimed another life also caused some 2.5 mln euros of damage
Just over a week after flash floods that struck Rhodes caused the deaths of four people, torrential rain provoked similar flooding in the town of Argos in the Peloponnese, claiming the life of a 55-year-old woman.
The woman, who is believed to be Serbian, died in the basement flat she was renting when a wall collapsed amid flash flooding, according to local reports. It was unclear whether she was crushed by the wall or whether she drowned.
The floods began late on Sunday following a torrential rainstorm that led to a state of emergency being declared in Argos. The city’s mayor, Dimitris Kambossos, described the downpour as “a waterfall descending from the sky.”
Dozens of firefighters were dispatched to the area after two rivers broke their banks. The floodwaters submerged many ground-floor and basement homes, forcing families out. Municipal authorities set up a soup kitchen for those affected by the floods.
The extent of the damage remained unclear late Monday but the regional governor of the Peloponnese, Petros Tatoulis, estimated it at 2.5 million euros, far short of the 150,000 euros in emergency aid pledged by Interior Minister Yiannis Michelakis, who visited the area.
Other cities and villages in the region were hit by flooding too, including Corinth and Kiato, and there were widespread power cuts.
Conditions improved slightly Monday but they were expected to worsen again from Tuesday, according to a warning issued by the National Meteorological Service (EMY).
According to EMY, thunderstorms are likely to hit the southern Peloponnese and Crete in the afternoon, with snow expected to fall in parts of the Peloponnese as well as Macedonia, Thessaly, eastern Greece and Evia.
