ATHENS, Dec. 5 (GCT) — Storm Byron raged across Greece for a second consecutive day on Friday, unleashing torrential rain that caused severe flooding in multiple regions.
The town of Mandra, west of western Attica, roughly 20 km northwest of the capital, was once again among the hardest hit. Streets were transformed into raging rivers and homes and businesses were inundated with mud, reviving traumatic memories of the catastrophic 2017 floods that killed 24 people in the same area. Fortunately, no deaths have been reported nationwide this time.
From Thursday morning through Friday, the Greek Fire Service responded to nearly 600 emergency calls and rescued 22 individuals, ten of them in Mandra.
The National Observatory of Athens measured 251 mm of rainfall in nearby Nea Peramos in just 12 hours overnight — one of the highest 24-hour totals recorded in Greece since 2008.
Officials noted that anti-flood measures implemented after the 2017 disaster likely prevented loss of life, though they acknowledged that additional infrastructure improvements remain essential.
In the last 48 hours, heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds have inflicted widespread damage to homes, shops, agricultural land and road networks from the Ionian island of Zakynthos to the Peloponnese and the Aegean islands, including Crete and Rhodes.
Twelve of the country’s 13 regions remain under the maximum “code red” alert through Saturday, schools are closed, and authorities continue to urge citizens to avoid all unnecessary travel.
The National Meteorological Service forecasts that intense weather conditions will persist until at least midday Saturday.
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