Storm on Skiathos in Greece: hundreds of Swedes affected

Greece experienced torrential rains and floods.

There are hundreds of Swedish tourists on the island of Skiathos, many of whom have been evacuated from their rooms.

– says Martina Krantz, Apollo press officer: – A few hotels have been affected so much that our guests cannot stay there.

Heavy rains fell in Greece at the beginning of the week. Storm Daniel has now caused major flooding on the popular Greek island of Skiathos, where hundreds of Swedish holidaymakers are.

Pictures from the island show how the water rushes into the streets. Beach chairs and cars are being dragged into the rivers.

The Greek authorities have now issued a curfew on the island. Residents and tourists are not allowed to leave their homes or hotels or remain on the streets.

– We contacted our staff on site who said the situation was very difficult, says Martina Krantz, Apollo press officer.

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Hard to get food

Apollo has 202 Swedish passengers on the whole island. Some had to vacate their rooms.

– A few hotels are so affected that our guests are unable to stay in them. Those guests can wait in the hotel’s common areas, says Martina Krantz.

It must also be difficult to communicate with and on the island due to insufficient electricity and telephone. Those affected on the island also have difficulty obtaining food.

At 1 pm, the police closed all traffic on the island and an emergency SMS was sent to all mobile phones.

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Do it so we can stay for a few days.

Marie Beckmann on the east side of the island with her husband. Traffic remains closed to them, but the water bodies are beginning to calm down.

– “The weather is very bad, but we had many warnings and it was handled very well,” says Mary Beckmann.

The couple has visited the island many times before, but they have never seen floods like this.

They even managed to buy food before the weather got any worse.

– We have so we can stay for a few days. Mary says that there were those who did not get food or water, but they were helped by other travellers.

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Grocery store delivered to the hotel

Magnus and Victoria Ostrand are also on the island. They live on a hill and the bottom of the road has been washed away.

– They made an emergency solution on the road, but 30 to 40 meters of asphalt disappeared. Magnus Ostrand says: The police have closed off one side of the city heading towards us.

It rained, and the sand from the beach was pushed into the water. Earlier in the day, grocery store brought food to the hotel.

– When it rained at its worst, the stairs leading to the beach and the fence around the pool were washed away. Some big stones got in the way.

The couple have been there since Sunday and managed to enjoy a sunny day before it rained.

– You can entertain yourself as much as you can. We talk to the neighbors, we play yatzi, we read a lot of books, Magnus.

Thirty of them have changed rooms or have been evicted

Ving has 223 Swedish tourists on site – about thirty of whom have had to change rooms or have been evacuated to another hotel.

Under these circumstances, it’s still under control, says Claes Belvec, Ving’s director of communications.

Belvik says the choice of food in hotels may be reduced, but there is enough food for everyone.

– According to the reports we received from the local authorities, the weather is here during the evening, and the forecast looks a little better starting tomorrow, says Claes Belvec.

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One person died in the storm

It is not just Skiathos that is affected. The storm hit Greece’s Thessaly region particularly hard, where a red alert was issued.

Among the cities badly affected were Volos and Pelion in Thessaly. In Volos, bridges and roads have collapsed, and the rescue service is evacuating people in red rubber boats.

The armed forces have also been called in to assist in the rescue work.

A man has died in the storm. According to the Athens News Agency, the man died when a wall collapsed.

According to forecasts, the storm is expected to bring historic amounts of rain. Before Tuesday, 500 mm of rain was expected over ten hours in Zagora. From midnight until three o’clock in the afternoon, 645 mm fell, which is described as historical quantities.