Crete is on high alert as an even more powerful storm system prepares to sweep across the island, following nearly 30 hours of catastrophic flooding that has already claimed one life and left a trail of biblical destruction in its wake. Emergency rescue teams (EMAK) are already deployed across the region as authorities warn residents to prepare for the worst.
An 80-year-old shepherd lost his life after being buried under debris and torrential floodwaters in Rethymno, while at least four other people were rescued from dangerous situations caused by the devastating floods. The victim, Filippos Nikoloudakis, had gone to check on his flock amid the raging storm. His children spent 14 agonizing hours searching for him before the tragic discovery.
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“It rained excessively — we have serious problems,” Ioannis Kleidis, mayor of Agios Vasileios in Rethymno, told the newspaper Apogevmatini. By yesterday afternoon, the Fire Service Operations Center had already received 255 emergency calls due to heavy rainfall across the regional units of Rethymno, Heraklion, and Lasithi, with 17 people evacuated to safety.
In Diskouri Zonianon, an elderly couple’s car plunged into a collapsed section of road, requiring firefighters to rescue them before they were taken to hospital as a precaution. The storm also struck hard in Gouves, Heraklion, where the Gouvianos river burst its banks, transforming the road to the beach into a raging torrent and sweeping cars into the sea. Meteorologist Christina Rigou described the storm’s intensity as comparable to the infamous Storm Daniel.
Schools across many municipalities remain closed, while police and fire services are urging citizens to stay vigilant and avoid unnecessary travel. Nearly 70 villages have experienced power and water outages, with repair crews working around the clock to address the damage.
In Anogia, a staggering 361.4mm of rainfall was recorded within just 24 hours — equivalent to 361 tonnes of water per acre, and roughly the amount the area normally receives over two full months. This was the highest recorded figure across the entire island. More than 10 homes and businesses in Anogia were flooded, while extensive damage to roads, crops, and livestock farms was also reported in Zoniana, Livadia, Axos, and Perama.
In Heraklion, the Finiakia district was among the hardest hit. “We truly experienced terror. We thought we were going to watch someone drown. We thought the water was going to pour into our homes,” restaurant owner Kostas Iatrakis told the news site neakriti.gr. Sections of the road network in both Heraklion and Rethymno have been closed due to debris and flood deposits.
The municipality of Minoa Pediadas also bore the brunt of the deluge, with more than 14 vehicles swept away and dozens of homes and businesses flooded.
The Drakouliaris river overflowed, triggering widespread flooding in Malades, where firefighters fielded continuous calls late into the night to pump water from inundated homes. Vehicles, chairs, umbrellas, and other objects were swept away by the powerful currents. In Lasithi, the situation was equally dire, with tonnes of mud and debris cascading down from the mountains and overflowing rivers burying cars, homes, and businesses. Roads leading to the Lasithi Plateau have been closed, with police blocking all vehicle access. The damage to crops and livestock farms across the island is described as incalculable.
