Rhodes is in crisis after a catastrophic storm dumped more than 280 millimeters of rain on the island within hours on We...

Rhodes is in crisis after a catastrophic storm dumped more than 280 millimeters of rain on the island within hours on Wednesday, October 14, killing one person and leaving widespread destruction across multiple communities. A 62-year-old hotel employee died after floodwaters swept his car into the sea near Stegna beach. Coast Guard personnel recovered his body from the water. Four vehicles in total were carried into the sea in that area alone. The hardest-hit communities included Archangelos, Faliraki, Afandou, Ialysos, Stegna and Rhodes town. Hotels were inundated with muddy water, dozens of vehicles were stranded on the Rhodes-Lindos highway near Tsairi, and firefighters responded to rescue stranded motorists in Asgourou and the Rodini district. Landslides blocked or severely damaged multiple road routes, including the Archangelos-Malona road near Aithonas, where a large boulder crushed protective barriers, and the Tsairi-airport route. Authorities closed the bridge to Archangelos and sections of the road network in Afandou over safety fears. Power outages and telecommunications failures added to the chaos, while floodwater and fallen rocks slowed emergency response operations throughout the day. Rhodes Mayor Alexandros Koliadis formally requested that the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection declare the island a state of emergency to speed up recovery efforts. Civil Protection teams, firefighters, police and volunteers worked through Wednesday responding to incidents across the island. All schools on Rhodes remained shut Thursday to allow technical services and specialist experts to inspect school buildings for damage before students and teachers can return. Preschools, special education facilities, municipal sports centers and other municipal educational facilities are also covered by the closure order. Archaeological sites were also shut Wednesday, and a municipal council meeting was cancelled. The 112 emergency alert system urged residents to avoid unnecessary travel and stay away from flooded roads and streams. #Rhodes #Greece #Flooding