Severe rainstorms eased but floodwaters were still rising in parts of central Greece on Friday, while fire department and military helicopters were plucking people from villages inundated by tonnes of water and mud that have left six dead, six missing and many people clinging to the roofs of their homes.

Evacuation orders were issued for two areas north of the city of Larissa Friday morning, with authorities sending alerts to cell phones in the area warning that the Pineios River had burst its banks. Parts of Larissa, one of Greece’s largest cities, were already starting to flood.