The severe storm battering Crete in recent days has caused enormous destruction, with the village of Anogia flooded and roads in Zoniana completely impassable. The damage to homes, crops, and road infrastructure is immeasurable, particularly on the Lasithi Plateau. A total of 101 people have been evacuated to safety, while a government delegation is traveling to Crete on Monday (October 5) to assess the situation on the ground.
Crete storm: “Nothing like this has ever happened before”
Residents of Zoniana are describing the disaster as utterly unprecedented. One elderly woman told the Orange Press Agency: “My child, nothing like this has ever happened before. What can you say? God — I don’t know, I don’t know why God has done this to us.”
“In all my years — I’m 90 years old — I have never seen anything like this. It’s the first time something like this has happened to us. And there’s nothing we can do. Not the young, not the old. I never expected this to happen to us. Do you remember anything like this? No. What can I say? We’ve fallen into despair. I thought we were going to be lost. God help the younger generation,” the 90-year-old added.
Civil protection forces and the army join the battle
Emergency operations by Civil Protection services and the Greek Army are continuing across Crete. According to the Fire Service, since the storm began, the Fire Corps Operations Center has received 485 calls and carried out interventions in 204 cases.
Specifically, the following operations were conducted:
- 96 water pumping operations,
- 101 evacuations of individuals to safety, and
- 7 fallen tree removals
Government delegation dispatched to Crete
An expanded government delegation will travel to Crete on Monday (October 5) for an emergency briefing and firsthand inspection of the storm-affected areas. The delegation will include Minister of Infrastructure and Transport Christos Dimas, Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Evangelos Tournas, Deputy Minister of Rural Development and Food Giannis Adrianos, Deputy Minister for Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Kostas Katsafados, and Secretary-General for Natural Disaster Recovery and State Aid Petros Kambouris.
Schools closed in Kouloukona and Zoniana
All primary and secondary schools, as well as nurseries in the municipal units of Kouloukona and Zoniana, within the Municipality of Mylopotamos, will remain closed on both Monday, October 5, and Tuesday, October 6. The decision was made by Mylopotamos Mayor Giorgos Klados.
As the municipality emphasized, the safety of students, teaching staff, and other personnel is the top priority, along with ensuring adequate sanitary conditions. Meanwhile, in the municipal unit of Geropotamos, schools at all levels and nurseries will operate normally.
