Heavy rain, hail and floods hit Thessaloniki, Greece
Featured image: Floods in Thessaloniki, Greece on May 11, 2018. Credit: Giorgos Zoz
Heavy rain and hail storm hit Greek port city of Thessaloniki on Thursday, May 11, 2018, flooding roads and houses.
Fire department operations coordinator for Northern Greece said that heavy rain flooded roads and buildings, including Thessaloniki’s iconic White Tower, cut power supply and trapped vehicles around the city.
Lightning forced authorities to suspend the refueling of aircraft for security reasons for seven minutes and short flight delays occurred, but the airport is now back in full operation.
The city's fire department received more than 450 emergency calls to pump water from flooded properties by Friday morning, Ekathimerini reports.
Four people trapped in their cars on the Agion Pathon bridge were rescued by fire department crews, including a woman who had been swept away by water in Sykies. She was found safe and well later in the day.
The storm also affected the quality of local drinking water forcing the city's water board to temporarily suspend water supplies in some parts of the city.
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