Driver dies amid heavy rain on Rhodes
Several cars were swept away by floodwater on the Greek island.
Follow-up to: Greece braces for heavy rain and strong winds Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 16:00
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A 62-year-old driver died on Rhodes on Wednesday after his car was swept away by floodwater. Greek authorities are urging residents and visitors to Rhodes and other Aegean islands to limit their travel.
The man died during heavy rainfall on Rhodes, Reuters reports, citing the Greek coastguard. His car was swept towards a beach by a powerful current. Rescuers found the man near a small coastal town about thirty kilometres from the city of Rhodes.
According to the coastguard, four other cars were also swept away by the water. The authorities have not yet provided a full overview of the damage or any other injuries. Nor has it been reported exactly how the driver ended up in the current.
The rain has flooded roads in several places and caused rivers to burst their banks. The Greek authorities are advising people on Rhodes and the surrounding islands to exercise restraint when travelling for the time being. This warning applies not only to residents, but also to tourists travelling around the island.
The latest fatality follows earlier warnings of heavy autumn rain and wind in Greece. Those warnings covered several regions and islands in the Aegean Sea. The coastguard and other emergency services are taking rapidly changing conditions into account, particularly in places where water gathers from higher ground.
There is currently no independent information about the total extent of the flooding or any connection with climate change. A single extreme weather event does not in itself prove that the climate is the cause. However, warmer conditions can affect the amount of moisture in the atmosphere and the intensity of some showers; a separate meteorological analysis would be needed to establish this.
Greek reports about the storm began emerging on Wednesday. The picture may therefore still change. For now, it is established that one person has died, several vehicles have been swept away and the authorities are calling for non-essential travel to be limited.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The article’s central claims are confirmed by Reuters and Euronews, which base their reports on Greek authorities. The extent of the damage and any further victims are deliberately described as uncertain or unknown.
- confirmed A 62-year-old driver died on Rhodes during heavy rainfall. — Reuters reports the age, date and death during the storm. source
- confirmed The car was swept by water towards a beach. — This is stated in the Reuters report and in Euronews’ account of the coastguard report. source
- confirmed Four other cars were swept away by the water. — Reuters writes that four cars were washed away. source
Editor's note
The death of the driver, the four cars swept away and the warning to limit travel are confirmed. The total damage and the eventual number of victims had not yet been established.Sources
The story so far
- Tuesday, 13 October 2026, 16:00 Greece braces for heavy rain and strong winds
- Wednesday, 14 October 2026, 20:28 Driver dies amid heavy rain on Rhodes (this article)
More on this in Dutch media
- De Telegraaf — „rhodos griekenland”
- AD — „rhodos griekenland”
- de Volkskrant — „rhodos griekenland”