Severe weather has hit Crete and is causing serious problems, with flooding, river overflows, landslides and debris piles, making the situation even more difficult in some areas of the island. An 80-year-old farmer also lost his life in the massive flooding.
The elderly man went missing the night before and was found dead today, crushed by debris, in the Kavalaris area of Rethymno. According to reports, he had fled to his hut, where he kept his livestock, but was apparently swept away by the floodwaters.
Meanwhile, in Livadia of Mylopotamos, a couple was injured after the torrential waters flooded the Diskourios bridge they were crossing at the time. As a result of the catastrophic floods, all schools in the Regional Units of Chania and Rethymno were closed.
The National Meteorological Service (EMY) also continues to issue a "red" warning for Crete, as the risk of flooding remains very high. At the same time, very strong winds are blowing in the Aegean Sea.
Problems in Heraklion
The situation in the Heraklion area is particularly difficult. Heavy rainfall caused the Drakouliaris River to overflow its banks in Malades and Finikia. In Ano Finikia, the situation escalated significantly, as two people were trapped in a stopped vehicle due to the large amounts of debris that had covered the road. They had to be extricated from the vehicle and transported to a safe location.
Problems are also being reported in Gouves, with the Fire Department receiving constant calls to pump water, cut down trees and evacuate citizens from areas where there is danger. The streams are of particular concern, as heavy rainfall has led to a significant increase in water levels.
The consequences of the bad weather are also serious in Rethymno, where torrential rains have caused flooding, landslides and problems with the road network. Early in the morning, authorities warned residents to limit their movements and avoid the roads towards Zoniana, Livadia and the mountainous area of Milopotamos in general.
In Zoniana, a driver was trapped in his car after a river overflowed its banks and had to be pulled out safely by authorities. The Deputy Governor of Rethymno, Maria Lioni, urged citizens to exercise extreme caution and avoid unnecessary travel as the intense phenomena continue.
At the same time, the Municipality of Mylopotamos has requested that the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection declare the area in a state of emergency, in order to enable the reinforcement of teams trying to open roads and repair the damage.
The bad weather also caused serious problems in Anogia. During the night, there were power outages, while torrential rains and storms caused landslides and large mudslides. Traffic on the road connecting Axos to Anogia was temporarily disrupted, while municipal crews and private contractors are working to remove the debris and restore traffic.
In total, the Fire Department has been called to deal with at least 21 incidents in Crete, of which 15 were in Heraklion, which mainly concerned pumping water and transporting citizens to safe places.
Up to 300 mm of rain
According to the Meteo, high levels of precipitation were recorded in the mountainous and northern parts of the island, as clearly shown in the color scale of the precipitation level of the map above. According to the network of automatic meteorological stations of the National Observatory of Athens/meteo.gr, precipitation in Anogia, Rethymno reached 361 mm (361.4 mm from Wednesday 30/09 to noon on Thursday 01/10).
Closed schools and canyons
Schools have been closed in Chania, Rethymno and Lasithi, as well as in the Municipality of Minoa Pediada. Schools in Agia Pelagia and Fodele have also been suspended. At the same time, gorges have been closed and traffic restrictions have been imposed in high-risk areas.
