President calls Greece-born Florida mayor as Irma nears

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos on Saturday reached out with a message of support to the Greece-born mayor of Tarpon Springs, Florida, as the southeastern American state was bracing for the deadly Hurricane Irma to make landfall later in the day.

Pavlopoulos wished Mayor Chris Alahouzos strength and told him that the thoughts of the Greek people are with the citizens of Florida as they prepared for what was expected to be an extremely challenging ordeal.

Irma claimed at least 20 lives when it swept through the islands of the Caribbean and left vast amounts of damage in its wake, prompting authorities in Florida to mobilize a massive evacuation.

Florida officials estimated on Saturday that 5.6 million residents have been ordered to evacuate and repeatedly urged Floridians not to underestimate the power of the category five hurricane.

Alahouzos assured the Greek president that all the necessary precautions had been taken in Tarpon Springs, on Florida’s Gulf Coast, to avoid loss of life and limit damage.