Authorities on the Greek islands of Rhodes and Lemnos have implemented a state of emergency following devastating storms that hit the region on Monday, resulting in two fatalities and extensive damage throughout the area.

Rescue teams, supported by military personnel and local officials, carried out operations to assist many elderly residents in areas affected by floods. The fierce winds and heavy rain over the weekend caused vehicles to overturn, power outages, and significant damage to the roads.

Tragically, two individuals lost their lives in a flooded village on Lemnos, while numerous others were evacuated and relocated to hotels at the island’s primary port.

Vassilis Kikilias, the minister responsible for climate crisis and civil protection, has urged those in affected areas to heed evacuation orders that are communicated through cellphone alerts. He emphasized the importance of complying with evacuation advisories, stating, “It is a thousand times better to comply with potentially excessive warnings than to face tragedy,” during an interview on private Skai television.

Kikilias attributed the increasingly severe weather patterns experienced in Greece in recent years to climate change, highlighting an unprecedented series of heatwaves that have exacerbated wildfires, a significant drought this year, and extensive flooding in central Greece earlier in 2023.

Additionally, train services on the mainland were disrupted on Monday due to the adverse weather, and warnings for inclement weather are still in place for the eastern Aegean islands, as well as regions in central and southern mainland Greece.