A 54-year-old Polish resident has drowned in Athens after being swept away by floodwaters as Storm Erminio unleashed catastrophic weather across Greece, trapping hundreds at airports and forcing widespread school closures ahead of the Easter weekend.
The victim lost his life in the southern Attica town of Nea Makri after leaving his flooded basement on Megalou Alexandrou Street and slipping into powerful torrents that carried him 49 feet before he became wedged beneath a vehicle.
A neighbour who discovered the body described the scene as “chaos,” stating: “The water was coming in with force. Suddenly I see something under the wheels, I mistook it for a dog.” The resident added that three vehicles had been swept away at the location where the man drowned.
Athens area fire services received nearly 500 emergency calls and 30 rescue requests as the storm battered the capital with torrential rainfall whilst Saharan dust clouds from Africa obscured skies across tourist destinations including Santorini and Crete, bathing the islands in eerie red and orange hues.
The government issued red and orange weather warnings across the country as the deadly system combined torrential rain, heavy snowfall and suffocating dust to create hazardous conditions. Horror footage captured trees crushing parked cars and collapsing powerlines in popular holiday destinations.
The idyllic island of Poros witnessed roads transform into raging rivers with vehicles floating through muddy torrents, whilst a bridge was destroyed by the deluge.
Holiday hotspot Rhodes faced brutal conditions with waves reaching 15 feet and gale-force winds hitting 70mph, forcing cancellation of multiple flights to Diagoras airport. Crete’s Nikos Kazantzakis airport trapped dozens of passengers as flights were grounded due to dangerously low visibility caused by dust storms, with three international services diverted entirely.
Schools across Crete, the Dodecanese islands and Cycladic islands shut down as Storm Erminio transformed picturesque tourist spots into what observers described as “fiery-skied hellscapes.”
Several regions experienced power outages plunging areas into partial darkness as the combination of snow and torrential precipitation blanketed affected zones.
The Easter weekend timing compounds difficulties for both residents and tourists attempting to celebrate the significant Greek Orthodox holiday amidst the chaos, with traditional celebrations disrupted by the extreme weather conditions.
Authorities continue monitoring the storm’s progression as meteorologists warn conditions may persist through the holiday period, with emergency services remaining on high alert across the affected regions.
