Greek NEWS

Flash floods and hail hit Thessaloniki trapping tourists in White Tower

Published by
GCT Team

Thessaloniki flash floodsThessaloniki flash floods

by Aggelos Skordas

The sudden storm that struck Thessaloniki, northern Greece, on Thursday midday caused major problems and flash floods in the city’s center and suburbs with the local Fire Service Department receiving more than 450 emergency calls from endangered residents, trapped in stores, ground floor apartments and basements.

white towerwhite tower

Earlier a hail storm pounded the city, while among the flooded buildings was the city’s iconic landmark White Tower, on the sea front, where foreign and local visitors were trapped inside for several hours as water prevented them from exiting. Tourists had to be evacuated from the ground-floor window after firemen sawed through the iron bars. Another monument, the 7thcentury temple of Agia Sofia in central Thessaloniki suffered minor damages from the rainwater and the City Hall’s basement and ground floor was also affected by the floods.

According to local media the downpour turned numerous roads into rivers and at least four people have been rescued by firemen and policemen from a bridge after their vehicles were immobilized due to the increasing water levels. In the western suburb of Sykies a woman was rescued by firemen after a torrent swept her away.

Greece’s second largest city experienced power stoppage due to continuous thunder storms, while problems and delays were caused to the city’s international airport “Macedonia,” where authorities had to cut the fueling supply of the planes. Due to the huge amount of waters on the city’s main street Nikis Avenue, there was a huge traffic jam in the city center.

Ads1
Ads1

Greek City Times 2025
GCT Team

This article was researched and written by a GCT team member.

Recent Posts

Apple Watch Cellular Plans Debut in Greece

Apple Watch cellular plans have launched in Greece, with Cosmote offering eSIM activation for the…

5 seconds ago

Archbishop Georgios Slams MEP Panayiotou for Misguided Role and Turkey’s Influence

The Archbishop of Cyprus, Georgios, lambasted Cypriot MEP Feidias Panayiotou, accusing him of acting as…

7 minutes ago

Peter Mamouzelos on Greece’s Rugby League Ban and His Hopes to Play on Home Soil

Peter Mamouzelos, South Sydney Rabbitohs hooker, shares his dream of playing rugby league in Greece,…

21 minutes ago

Cyprus Peace Talks: Small Steps Forward, But Deep Divisions Remain

Cyprus remains divided since Turkey’s 1974 invasion, and while recent UN-hosted talks between Greek and…

32 minutes ago

EastMed Pipeline Revival: A New Era in Eastern Mediterranean Energy Strategy

The potential revival of the EastMed pipeline under Donald Trump’s leadership signals a renewed push…

2 hours ago

Greece Eyes Israel’s BARAK Air Defense System to Replace Aging S-300s

Greece is considering the Israeli BARAK air defense system to replace its aging S-300s, favoring…

3 hours ago