A man was found dead on the Greek island of Rhodes on Wednesday after torrential rainfall triggered flash flooding, sweeping vehicles into the sea and causing widespread disruption across the island.
Τhe incident occurred in the Stegna area, where powerful floodwaters carried several vehicles toward the coastline.
Coast Guard officials said an unconscious man was reportedly found in one of the vehicles. It was not immediately clear whether he had been inside the vehicle when it was swept away or had approached it in an attempt to move it.
Roads Flooded and Vehicles Stranded
Heavy rainfall caused extensive flooding across Rhodes, with roads turning into rivers in several areas, including Ialysos, Afandou, Faliraki and Archangelos.
Dozens of vehicles were stranded as floodwaters inundated streets and disrupted traffic.
In Archangelos, an unoccupied vehicle was swept away by a torrent. Traffic was suspended on the Archangelos-Malona road near Aithonas after a large rock fell onto the roadway, damaging the pavement and protective barriers.
Authorities also temporarily closed a bridge connecting the main road with the settlement of Archangelos as a precautionary measure.
Civil Protection teams from the Municipality of Rhodes and the South Aegean Region had been responding to emergencies since the early morning hours.
An emergency alert was issued through Greece’s 112 warning system, urging residents and visitors to limit unnecessary travel and follow instructions from local authorities.
Lightning Strikes and Additional Damage
The storm also caused disruptions to infrastructure across the island. In Ialysos, a lightning strike sparked a fire at a residence, although no additional serious consequences were immediately reported.
Another lightning strike disabled the electrical system of the South Aegean regional station of Greece’s public broadcaster ERT, temporarily interrupting its transmission.
A double waterspout was also observed near Archangelos, but authorities had received no reports of damage associated with the phenomenon.
The severe weather system has affected several parts of Greece, including the island of Evia, where heavy rainfall has caused additional flooding and transportation problems.
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