3 Dead After Heavy Storms in Greece
Pastor Dale Morgan
3 Dead After Heavy Storms in Greece*
The Associated Press
October 19, 2006; 4:33 PM
ATHENS, Greece -- Heavy storms lashed southeastern Greece, leaving three
people dead and forcing authorities to declare a state of emergency
Wednesday on three islands.
Flood waters swamped hundreds of homes and shops and falling rock and
raging torrents disrupted road transport on the three islands, Leros and
Astypalaia in the Dodecanese, and areas of western Crete. Authorities
declared a state of emergency.
Two swimmers drowned Wednesday in rough waves off the holiday island of
Rhodes, officials said.
On Crete, a truck driver was killed late Tuesday in mudslides near the
city of Hania, while floodwaters swept parked cars into the sea in
coastal areas and heavy rain caused extensive damage to crops. Rescuers
were also searching for a man missing since Tuesday night after
floodwaters swept his car off the road. The vehicle was located empty on
Wednesday.
Island ferry schedules were disrupted by gale-force winds, which reached
10 on the Beaufort scale in parts of the Aegean.
Officials said conditions had improved since Tuesday, though more storms
were expected on Thursday. Earlier this month, parts of northern and
central Greece also were affected by severe flooding.