Greek islands Paros and Mykonos close schools, ban traffic as severe storms cause destruction

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — A powerful storm lashed the Greek islands of Paros and Mykonos on Monday, triggering widespread flooding and prompting authorities to close schools and impose a ban on all traffic except emergency vehicles.

Heavy rainfall in Paros' main towns of Parikia and Naousa – both popular vacation spots – caused floodwaters that surged through streets, carrying cars and debris past whitewashed buildings.

Authorities on Paros said 13 people stranded in the storm were taken by firefighters to their homes, adding that no one was reported injured or missing.

On Mykonos, where the flooding was less intense, excavators were used to clear a path for floodwater and it gushed past seafront cafes and restaurants.

Authorities ordered schools on Paros, Mykonos and two other Aegean Sea islands to remain closed on Tuesday, while the civil protection service sent cell phone alerts instructing residents to stay indoors. Municipal crews and private contractors worked to clear roads blocked by fallen rocks, while emergency services rescued stranded motorists.

Several islands near Paros, in the Cyclades group, which is southeast of the mainland in the Aegean Sea, remain under severe weather warnings though Tuesday.

A woman carries sun lounge cushions from a business after a powerful storm which has triggered widespread flooding at the port of Naousa, on the Aegean Sea island of Paros, Greece, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (John Liakos/InTime News via AP)

A view of damaged cars after a powerful storm which has triggered widespread flooding at the port of Naousa, on the Aegean Sea island of Paros, Greece, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (John Liakos/InTime News via AP)

A man tries to fix a car after a powerful storm which has triggered widespread flooding at the port of Naousa, on the Aegean Sea island of Paros, Greece, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (John Liakos/InTime News via AP)

People try to clear the mud from a hotel after a powerful storm which has triggered widespread flooding at the port of Naousa, on the Aegean Sea island of Paros, Greece, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (John Liakos/InTime News via AP)

Municipal workers clear mud with shovels after a powerful storm which has triggered widespread flooding at the port of Naousa, on the Aegean Sea island of Paros, Greece, Tuesday, April 1, 2025. (John Liakos/InTime News via AP)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)