Heavy rainfall that hit the island of Lesvos in the night from Monday to Tuesday caused very serious problems in the area of Kalloni, flooding roads, houses and businesses, destroying provincial an rural roads, sweeping vehicles away.
Firefighters had to evacuate elderly people from their flooded homes. There are no reports of injured residents or visitors.
In just two hours 110 mm of rainwater reportedly fell in the area.
Schools in western Lesvos remained close on Tuesday due to the disaster.
The areas of Kalloni and Skala appear to have been most affected after two rivers overflowed, with residents describing the volume of water that fell on the island as “unprecedented.”
The decision to close all schools in western Lesvos “was taken as a precaution because of the intense and persistent downpours affecting a large part of the island, which have caused disruptions in traffic circulation and increased the risk of travel for students and teachers,” local authorities said in an announcement.
They also advised residents against “unnecessary travel” until a full assessment of the damage to the road network has been made.
the mayor of western Lesvos has requested that the area is declared in “state of emergency.”
*pictures: kalloninews.gr , lesvosnews.net
