Flooding and extensive damage in Crete from severe weather; bridge collapses and couple injured

Heavy rainfall has affected various parts of Crete, causing flooding, damage to roads and bridges, and interruptions to the electricity supply.

Due to the worsening situation, authorities have raised the alert level. During the morning hours alone, residents of the affected areas received three notifications through the 112 emergency number.

Rethymno is among the worst-hit areas. Water has entered several homes, while flooding of houses and power outages have been reported in Zoniana after several utility poles collapsed.

A resident of Zoniana said that water was entering homes with the force of a river. She said the situation was serious and that the municipality had been warned earlier about the need for interventions on the roads.

Major difficulties have also been reported in Mylopotamos. In Livadia, powerful flows damaged the Diskourios Bridge, and a vehicle carrying a couple ended up in the riverbed. Both passengers were injured and taken to hospital.

Municipality Mayor Giorgos Klados said the bridge had partially disappeared after the river swept away part of it and the vehicle fell into the riverbed. He stressed that there had been no fatalities.

According to Klados, the situation in the area is extremely serious, and rainfall of this magnitude has not been experienced for decades.

Power outages have also been recorded in Zoniana, Anogia and Axos. In Zoniana, teams have been informed about repairing the damage caused by the fallen utility poles.

In the Profitis Ilias area of Heraklion, rainfall has exceeded 220 millimetres. The water has brought soil and various materials onto the roads, prompting the deployment of heavy machinery to clear them and manage the situation.

Traffic has also been halted on the Lassithi Plateau, where weather conditions are difficult. Municipality Mayor Giorgos Athanasakis has urged residents not to leave their homes and to use the ring road only when necessary. He said the rainfall had significantly damaged crops.

The first 112 notification was sent shortly before 07:00, advising people to avoid travel and visits to Zoniana, Livadia and the mountainous area of Mylopotamos in Rethymno.

Shortly before 10:00, the second message was issued for the Minoa Pediada area in Heraklion. Another alert was sent at 10:15 for the Agios Nikolaos area in Lasithi.

To help manage the flooding and the consequences of the severe weather, the Greek authorities decided to reinforce the emergency response mechanism in Crete with personnel and equipment sent from Athens.

A water-rescue team, watercraft, special vehicles and a special operations unit of the fire service equipped for water pumping have been sent to the island.

The updated emergency bulletin forecasts that on Thursday, 1 October, southern Greece, particularly Crete, will be affected by heavy rain and storms. Very strong winds are expected in the Aegean.

In Chania and Rethymno, severe weather phenomena may continue until the morning of Sunday, 4 October.

Forecasts point to northeasterly winds in the Aegean, with speeds that could reach 8-9 Beaufort.

Because of the strong winds, sailings have been suspended from the ports of Rafina and Lavrio. Departures from Piraeus are continuing, but some high-speed ferry routes to the Argosaronic Gulf islands have undergone itinerary changes.

Schools in Chania and Rethymno have been closed today because of the forecast weather conditions.

The authorities have urged citizens to travel with the utmost caution and follow the instructions of the emergency services.

Meteorologist George Tsatrafillias has meanwhile warned of rainfall at extreme levels. According to the ECMWF and ICON models, 250-350 millimetres of rain could fall in parts of Crete, while the amount could be even higher in specific areas.

However, Tsatrafillias clarified that the maximum values cannot yet be considered final, as the forecast extends over several days. The concentration of large amounts of rain over short periods significantly increases the risk of flooding and landslides.