‘Bora’ Storm Leaves Rhodes and Lemnos in State of Emergency

Photo source: Greek Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection

The Greek government has declared a state of emergency for the islands of Rhodes and Lemnos following the deadly storm “Bora”, which wreaked havoc over the weekend and into Monday morning. Both islands have suffered significant damage to infrastructure, homes, and businesses.

Rhodes

Rhodes was one of the areas most severely affected by Bora. Following a request by the island’s mayor, Alexandros Koliadis, the government declared a state of emergency to expedite compensation procedures and initiate necessary repair works.

The aftermath in Rhodes paints a grim picture: landslides, roads buried in mud, and extensive damage to homes, businesses, and the road network, particularly in the Ialyssos area, which bore the brunt of the storm’s fury.

Lemnos

A state of emergency was also declared for Lemnos by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, following the mayor’s request. Committees have been formed to begin assessing the damages caused by the storm.

According to the Civil Protection of the Lemnos Regional Authority, the storm brought nearly 200 tons of rainfall per hectare between early Saturday and Monday morning. The extreme weather caused widespread devastation across the island, leaving two people dead and enormous damage to infrastructure and properties.

In an announcement, the North Aegean Region reported that a Business Damage Recording Committee has been established for the Municipal Units of Myrina, Atsiki, and Nea Koutali, which were severely impacted by the disaster between November 30 and December 2. The committee’s work will begin on December 3.

Photo source: Hellenic Fire Service

Local businesses affected by the floods have been advised to contact the Regional Government of Lemnos by phone at 2254-51220-1 or via email at lemnos@lemnos.gr to submit requests for damage assessments. A separate announcement for the recording of residential damages will be issued by the Municipality of Lemnos.

“Serious damage was recorded to the road network, agricultural areas, water supply systems, and other infrastructure, including municipal walls, road surfaces, and bridges,” said Lemnos Mayor Eleonora Georga while describing the extensive damage to the media. “The impact on homes, businesses, crops, and greenhouses is enormous. With floodwaters yet to fully recede, we do not have a complete picture of the destruction.”

Ongoing storm impacts

Heavy rain and storms continued to impact central and eastern Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaly, the Sporades, and the islands of the Eastern Aegean and Dodecanese on Monday.

According to the Ministry for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection, the Bora storm is expected to continue bringing heavy rain and localized severe thunderstorms through the early hours of Tuesday, December 3.