More than 800 people rescued from floodwaters in Greece after severe rainstorms

More than 800 people have been rescued over the past two days from floods in Greece, the fire department says, after severe rainstorms turned streets into raging torrents, hurling cars into the sea and washing away roads.

The rainstorms have also hit neighboring Bulgaria and Turkey, leaving 14 people dead in the three countries, including three people in Greece.

Fire department spokesperson Vasilis Vathrakogiannis says swift water rescue specialists and divers from the department’s disaster response units, as well as the army, were participating in rescue efforts and were trying to reach remote areas despite roads having been washed away.

The flooding follows on the heels of devastating wildfires that destroyed vast tracts of forest and farmland, burned homes and left more than 20 people dead.