Torrential rain floods Athens TORRENTIAL rain of an intensity not seen in decades flooded roads in Athens on Friday, overturning parked cars and stranding dozens of motorists, including a 28-year-old woman who died of what appeared to be a heart attack. More than six hours of solid rainfall starting at 5am flooded the streets of the Greek capital, caused two rivers to break their banks and paralysed public transport, causing traffic chaos as tens of thousands of Athenians sought to reach their offices during the morning rush hour. Two electricity substations were deluged, causing power cuts, and the fire service was besieged with more than 800 calls from residents with flooded homes and 100 from motorists stuck in floodwaters. The amount of rain was equal to the average rainfall for the entire month of February, meteorologists said. A woman found slumped over the wheel of her car in the northern Athens suburb of Halandri died of natural causes, according to doctors at the hospital to which she was taken by rescue workers. Greek media reported that the woman had died of a heart attack caused by shock. A few blocks away, residents rescued another woman from her stranded car as muddy floodwaters gushed by, overturning several parked vehicles on the same road. The scale of Friday's downpour was unusual, with meteorologists referring to the heaviest rainfall in 50 to 60 years in comments on state television.