Five days of intense rainfall leave trail of destruction across Crete
An 80-year-old farmer has been found dead and eight national park workers are stranded in the Samaria Gorge, as ministers head to the island and EU satellites map the affected areas.
Between September 30 and October 4, Crete experienced five consecutive days of intense rain and thunderstorms. The National Observatory of Athens reported that Xyloskalo, in Chania region, recorded 91 millimetres of rain in a single day, with 91 litres of water per square metre. The Lasithi Plateau received 440 millimetres of rain in just two days, amounting to 440 litres per square metre.
The Aposelemis dam, 30 kilometres east of Heraklion, saw its reserves increase from 9.26 million cubic metres to over 12.7 million cubic metres in just four days.
Throughout the island, 485 calls were made to the Fire Service, resulting in 96 pump-outs and 101 transfers to safe locations. An 80-year-old farmer was found dead in Karines, Rethymno. Damage was reported in all four regional units: Chania, Rethymno, Heraklion, and Lasithi. Agricultural losses were significant on the Lasithi Plateau, with up to 3,000 tonnes of crops potentially destroyed.
Floods and landslides affected mountain villages, farming areas, and tourist coastal regions. The European Union's Copernicus Emergency Management Service was activated to map the affected areas.
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