Stormwater tore through the streets of Rhodes on Oct. 14, turning roads into fast-moving channels as severe weather hit parts of Greece and damaged beachfront hotels. Local media reported that one person died after floodwaters carried a car into the sea near the village of Archangelos.
Here's what to know
Footage shared to Instagram by BBC Weather (@bbcweather) shows brown floodwater sweeping through the island's dense streets after the storm system arrived.
The flooding also impacted hotels along the beach.
In the footage, water is seen rushing downhill between buildings and over roads, underscoring the force of the runoff. "Severe storms battered parts of Greece on Wednesday, triggering flash floods on the island of Rhodes," BBC Weather said in the caption.
More background
Rhodes is a major tourism destination, making flood damage along streets and at beachfront hotels especially disruptive. When severe weather hits seafront districts, the fallout can extend well beyond the immediate cleanup to business closures, property damage, interrupted travel, and lost wages for people who rely on visitors.
The danger to human life is even more immediate. Flash floods can turn catastrophic when vehicles are caught in rising water or pushed toward the coast. On islands with sloped terrain, heavy rain can funnel into roads and low-lying areas with little warning.
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Fast-moving floodwater can injure or kill people, damage homes and hotels, and cut off income in communities where tourism drives local economic stability.
One commenter wrote, "We are very lucky we have missed this. It looks scary."
"And this is only the beginning as global heating accelerates…" said another.
Where can I learn more?
What happened on Rhodes is part of a pattern of dangerous storms hitting coasts and cities, as these stories underscore.
• In Libya, floods are becoming more threatening as warming intensifies the "most damaging natural hazard" in the world.
• On Australia's coast, worsening sea conditions have wreaked havoc as erosion and storms batter communities.
• In India, monsoon patterns are shifting as Arctic ice loss drives far-reaching storm risks.
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