Storm Ballos wreaks havoc across Greece, 1 dead

ATHENS

Storm Ballos has wreaked havoc across Greece, leaving one person dead and submerging some areas following two days of continuous rain that began on Thursday.

A 69-year-old shepherd went missing in southern Evia island on Thursday night has been found dead, the Fire Brigade department said in a statement on Friday noon. The island has been battered by torrential rain for the second time in less than a week.

Thousands of people were trapped in their vehicles and forced to abandon them in the Attica region as floodwaters overflowed the streets, causing havoc.

Local media reported on Friday that a bus had been swamped in the Attica region's southern suburbs on Thursday afternoon. Passengers were seen exiting the bus and trudging through water that had nearly reached their waistline.

Public transport was also disrupted as huge amounts of water were accumulated in most of the region's main roads as well as the train's mainline.

According to Professor Efthymios Lekkas, the head of the Earthquake Planning and Protection Organization, more than 30 tons of water fell in the Kifissos River basin on Thursday, ranging from the northern part of the Attica area in Kryoneri to the center of Athens.

“These phenomena are unprecedented,” Lekkas said on Skai TV. “We are in a new phase of the climate crisis and new structures are needed,” he stressed.

Primary and secondary schools in the region remained closed on Friday, and traffic on the National Road was halted until 6 a.m. local time (0300GMT).

Residents of the Ionian Sea islands of Corfu and Ithaca saw water pouring into their homes, forcing hundreds of them to flee.