Heavy rain and thunderstorms continued to batter Greece on Wednesday, October 14, causing flooding, infrastructure damage and major travel disruptions across Evia, Attica, the islands of Skiathos and Rhodes, and other areas.
The Hellenic National Meteorological Service (HNMS) maintained a red weather warning for Evia, forecasting severe thunderstorms in several parts of the country and winds reaching locally up to 10 on the Beaufort scale in the Aegean Sea. Authorities remained on heightened alert as rivers rose, roads flooded and emergency crews responded to incidents. Schools also remained closed in several areas.
Kifisos River rises as flooding threatens Attica
In Attica, persistent rainfall has raised concerns over the Kifisos River, which runs through the Athens metropolitan area. Video footage showed water levels rising significantly, with the river approaching its limits and fears growing that it could overflow.
NEWSLETTER TABLE TALK
Never miss a story.
Subscribe now.
The most important news & topics every week in your inbox.
Heavy rainfall has also caused flooded roads and traffic restrictions. In Perama, western Attica, rainfall reached 85 millimeters by Tuesday evening.
According to the Fire Service’s Operations Center, authorities received 38 emergency calls in Attica. Firefighters carried out nine water-pumping operations and removed 15 fallen or dangerous trees.
Bridge collapses in Evia as rivers threaten communities
Evia has been among the areas hardest hit by the storm, with heavy rain causing widespread disruption. Shortly after 7 a.m. Wednesday, Greece’s emergency number 112 sent an alert to residents in Politika, advising them to exercise particular caution when traveling.
The Fire Service received 20 calls concerning incidents in Evia and carried out 19 tree-cutting operations.
A temporary bridge collapsed in the Kyparissi area of Politika, at a location known as Pethamenos, within the municipality of Dirfies-Messapia, according to local news outlet evima.gr. The collapse added to concerns about road safety as continued rainfall caused problems in several parts of the island.
Makrikapa faces risk of river overflow
Residents of Makrikapa, also in the municipality of Dirfies-Messapia, remained on alert as heavy rainfall pushed the water level of the river running through the village dangerously high.
According to evima.gr, the river had reached a critical level, with the risk of overflow becoming increasingly apparent. Further rainfall could worsen conditions and lead to flooding on roads and in other parts of the settlement.
Residents were advised to stay away from the river and avoid crossing areas where fast-moving water had accumulated.
Kireas River overflow closes roads near Mantoudi
The Kireas River overflowed in northern Evia, forcing authorities to close roads connecting Mantoudi with nearby communities.
Traffic was suspended on the road between Mantoudi and Prokopi at a location known as Kanta after floodwaters spread onto the roadway. The road was also closed at Portara because of the river’s overflow.
Authorities urged drivers to avoid the affected areas and not attempt to cross flooded roads.
Skiathos hit by flooding and power outages
The storm also caused serious disruption on the island of Skiathos, where torrents of water swept away parked vehicles and flooded roads and businesses.
Skiathos Mayor Thodoris Tzoumas said two parked cars had been carried away by floodwaters. Firefighters, police and municipal crews were mobilized to respond to the damage, with significant problems reported in the areas of Agia Paraskevi and Platanias.
Traffic was particularly difficult on the island’s ring road. Near a Sklavenitis supermarket, vehicles moved with difficulty, while passage near the Kassandra Hotel was almost impossible.
Power outages affected approximately half of Skiathos and half of neighboring Skopelos. At 12:32 a.m. Wednesday, the Civil Protection service issued an urgent alert through 112, instructing residents and visitors to limit travel to essential journeys.
“Severe weather conditions on the island of Skiathos. Limit your movements to those that are absolutely necessary. Follow the instructions of the authorities,” the message said.
Rhodes reports flooding and vehicle rescue
Heavy rain also affected Rhodes from Wednesday morning, turning roads into streams and making driving difficult in several areas.
According to Greece’s public broadcaster ERT, firefighters were called to the Asgourou area to rescue a woman trapped in her car after floodwaters immobilized the vehicle.
Authorities issued an emergency alert through Greece’s 112 warning system. Residents were urged to limit travel to journeys that were absolutely necessary because of the intense weather conditions across the island.
A waterspout was also spotted off the coast of Stegna, Rhodes, where residents captured striking images and videos of the weather phenomenon over the sea.
Ferry services disrupted by strong winds
Severe winds also disrupted ferry connections from mainland Greece to the islands.
A sailing ban remained in effect at the port of Piraeus until 3 p.m., affecting morning and midday departures. Authorities were expected to reassess conditions and issue further updates. No departures were taking place from the port of Lavrio because of dangerous weather conditions.
Services from Rafina were operating under restrictions. The route to Marmari was running normally, but ferries serving the Cyclades were traveling only as far as Andros, without continuing to Mykonos and Tinos.
Ferries on the Agia Marina–Nea Styra and Arkitsa–Aidipsos routes were suspended. Conventional vessels serving the Saronic Gulf were operating temporarily, subject to a further assessment around midday, while hydrofoils were not running.
Passengers were advised to contact local port authorities and ferry operators before traveling to the ports to check for cancellations or changes to departure times.