A powerful storm lashed Greece’s Cyclades islands on Monday, triggering widespread flooding and prompting authorities to close schools and ban all traffic except emergency vehicles.
Heavy rainfall in Paros’ main towns of Parikia and Naousa – both popular vacation spots – caused floodwaters that surged through streets, carrying cars and debris past whitewashed buildings.
Authorities on Paros said 13 people stranded in the storm were taken by firefighters to their homes, adding that no one was reported injured or missing.
“The situation is particularly difficult along the Parikia-Naoussa road,” said Mayor Konstantinos Bizas, adding that the Naoussa River had overflowed and swept away cars near a bridge.
The Municipality of Paros said in a statement that damage on the road network includes landslides, floods, and the collapse of parts of the network, making traffic dangerous. The Fire Department has received dozens of calls for water pumping, but the officers will do so after the intensity of the rain recedes. A Fire Department helicopter has attempted to reach the island but been unable to do so because of the weather.
Πανοραμικό πλάνο από την #Πάρος μετά τις βροχοπτώσεις pic.twitter.com/awD40qHlCZ
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A 112 emergency message dispatched on Monday notified residents that all traffic on the island was banned. Visitors were advised by the municipality to avoid outdoors. Emergency vehicles are exempted from the ban, it said.
On Mykonos, flooding has caused significant disruption, particularly in the Tourlos and Marathi areas. Local authorities responded to several incidents of people being trapped by rising waters. “Everyone is safe,” officials said. Emergency crews are working to clear flooded areas and restore access.
Authorities ordered schools on Paros, Mykonos and two other Aegean Sea islands to remain closed on Tuesday, while the civil protection service sent cell phone alerts instructing residents to stay indoors. Municipal crews and private contractors worked to clear roads blocked by fallen rocks, while emergency services rescued stranded motorists.
Several islands near Paros, in the Cyclades group, which is southeast of the mainland in the Aegean Sea, remain under severe weather warnings through Tuesday.
Meanwhile, schools on the island of Rhodes will not open on Tuesday, Rhodes Mayor Alexandros Koliadis decided on Monday, due to the severe weather front.
The decision to shut down nursery schools, kindergartens, grade schools and high schools was taken for preventative reasons and over safety concerns for students, teachers, and their families, the mayor said.
