Hailstorm damages roads, businesses and homes in Drama

Local authority officials in Drama, northern Greece, on Wednesday were seeking to assess the extent of the damage wreaked on Tuesday night by a heavy hailstorm in the area.

The storm caused problems on many roads in the city and broader area, leaving a layer of hailstones up to 40 centimeters thick that had to be cleared away earth-moving machines to open roads to motorists.

The storm caused damage to several roads as well as flooding many basement and ground-floor stores and homes while trees were also uprooted.

Drama Mayor Christodoulos Mamsakos told the Athens-Macedonian News Agency that it had been years since such a strong hailstorm hit the city.

“In less than an hour the roads were filled with hailstones which damaged everything,” he said.