flood
© Hellenic Fire Service
Damaged crops, flooded roads, and hundred of rescue calls from civilians were caused by the "Genesis" weather front, which has been affecting Greece since Thursday, June 8th and escalated on Saturday morning.

Cities across the country from Thrace and Macedonia to Attica, saw roads flooded during the heavy rainfall while crops were damaged by hailstorms of unprecedented volume and duration in the Thessalian plain and the mountain villages of Thessaly.

The National Observatory of Athens recorded about 8,300 lightning strikes by 6:30 pm on Saturday, most of which were in Thrace, the northern Aegean, Evia, eastern Thessaly, and Central Greece.



Worsening weather causes problems across Greece

Between 7:30 am and 6:30 pm local time, the Hellenic Fire Services had received 293 calls from citizens requesting tree and object removals, water pumping, and rescue to safety, as the worsening weather continued to hit Greece.

The majority of the emergency calls came from the Prefectures of Eastern Macedonia and Thrace, Western Greece, and Attica.

Amongst the cities most affected by floods were Kavala and Xanthi in the north and the areas of Rafina and Ilioupoli in the outskirts of Athens.

"Genesis" is forecast to continue to affect Thrace and the eastern parts of Macedonia and Thessaly as the weather front will be gradually moving towards the Aegean islands during the night.


Authorities on stand-by as Genesis continues to unfold

The operational plan for dealing with the risks of floods and their accompanying phenomena remains in place, the Hellenic Fire Service said in a statement.

The public was reassured that the Fire Service forces in the areas where the increasingly inclement weather is expected in the following hours remain in a state of readiness, which will further escalate as required in that the necessary personnel and vehicles would be dispersed to immediately manage any emergencies.

Citizens in the affected areas are advised to avoid any unnecessary commutes during severe weather conditions and to secure doors and windows tightly. The public was reminded to move to the highest points of homes or buildings in the case of torrents.

Fire Service officials caution citizens not to traverse torrents, streams, or flooded roads on foot or by vehicle for any reason.