Athens, Oct 17, (dpa/GNA) – The storms that struck the popular Greek island of Crete at the weekend, have caused “enormous” damage, according to the government in Athens.
The area around the resort town of Agia Pelagia near Heraklion, was most affected by the storm.
Residents whose houses or businesses were damaged, will receive emergency payments of €6,000 ($5,800), state radio ERT reported on Monday. In addition, local authorities will receive €400,000 to repair destroyed infrastructure, such as electricity and water lines, and to remove the huge masses of mud from the streets.
Schools remained closed on Monday.
Storms in October are not an unusual occurrence in the Mediterranean area, according to meteorologists cited by Greek media, but their extent and intensity are increasing due to climate change.
According to the meteorological office, the same amount of rain usually seen over the entire month of October, had fallen in the affected area within one hour on the weekend.
“It was the worst storm of the last 100 years,” Crete Governor Stavros Arnaoutakis told the news website Protothema.
On Monday, the sun was shining again in most parts of Crete. Meanwhile, the bad weather reached the Mediterranean island of Cyprus in a weakened form.
GNA