The following warning of severe weather in Western Crete was published on the Haniotika Nea website at 2.00 pm on Friday afternoon, 29th November. (The prediction for midday Saturday is a little late, as thunderstorms in the Kolymbari area had already started early on Saturday morning.)
The bulletin contains a lot of useful advice on how to prepare for and cope with heavy rainstorms and associated phenomena. In Crete, the combination of mountainous terrain with poorly planned or maintained water courses and drainage systems can lead to the rapid buildup of water on the ground, and life-threating situations can quickly develop.
Civil protection: dangerous weather conditions in Crete
The Civil Protection service of the Region of Crete draws the attention of citizens to the possibility of dangerous weather conditions tomorrow Saturday 30th November. According to an urgent bulletin issued by the Hellenic Meteorological Office (EMY) the weather system codenamed “Bora”, chiefly characterised by heavy rains and downpours, is expected to affect mainly Western Crete from midday on Saturday 30th November to the early hours of Sunday. More details can be found in the regular daily weather bulletins on the EMY’s website (www.emy.gr) and its Twitter/X account (@EMY_HNMS).
All the services and technical resources comprising the civil protection mechanism of the Region of Crete have been placed in a state of increased readiness, as provided for in the operational plan. Citizens are reminded to be especially careful in areas where extreme weather phenomena are in progress and to adhere faithfully to the following guidance for personal safety.
Protection from heavy rainfall with accompanying flooding
Be prepared.
— Verify that the drains outside your house are not blocked and are working properly.
— Check the gutters and drains of your building to make sure they are clear and free of rubbish, dry leaves, debris etc.
— Secure objects in outside areas which could be swept away and cause damage or injury,
In the event that heavy rainfall is expected in your area
— When you are informed of an impending downpour, promptly remove vehicles from dangerous areas (beside streams, streets where flooding has occurred in the past or other water courses) which could be swept away by the force of the water.
— Change your plans if possible, avoiding all but absolutely essential road travel. In no event should you travel in a vehicle or on foot during the height of the phenomena.
— Secure the doors and windows of your home or your workplace.
— Do not remain in underground areas
— If a downpour occurs while you are driving, stop the car in a suitable spot at the side of the road and away from trees/signs/overhead cables/pylons, etc. Stay in the car and turn on the hazard warning lights until the storm passes. Stock your vehicle with water, dry food and items of clothing, since you may need to stay inside it as long as the phenomena last.
— If a downpour occurs while you are working in the open air, move away to the highest safe spot, far from irrigation channels or streams, ideally to a building.
— Renew first aid supplies (essential drugs and other first aid materials, drinking water, tinned food, battery–powered radio, power bank for a mobile phone, etc).
— First take care of vulnerable people around you, e.g. the elderly, infants, children, pregnant women, the disabled etc.
In the event of flooding
— If you have not already done so, leave underground areas and move to a safe, high spot, e.g. an adjacent roof.
— Remember to turn off the main power switch, even if the power has been cut in your area.
— As a precaution, also turn off the natural gas supply if one exists (bottle or tank).
— Do not touch pipework of the plumbing system (metal pipes in the kitchen/bathroom/verandahs), as they are good conductors of electricity in the event of a leakage of current or a lightning strike.
— Get away from the sea, rivers, lakes and other bodies of water, and if you are in the water, get out immediately
— In outside areas keep away from overhead power cables.
After the flood
— Remember that the dangers from flooding do not go away immediately after the waters have receded, because:
* the flooding may have changed the character of familiar places,
* there may be dangers from broken road surfaces or drains, collapsed bridges, mudslides, debris, fallen rocks or landslides, etc,
* the water may be polluted if rubbish and dead animals have been swept away.
— Take care that your activities do not hinder the access and activities of rescue teams.
— Do not approach areas were there have already been landslides and rock falls, even days after the event.
— Do not restore electricity supplies unless you have been told by a responsible person that it is safe to do so.
— Do not drink tap water before the supply has been checked by the sanitation authorities.
Take special care at fords! You could be at risk of your life!
Places on the road network where the road is crossed by a stream and there is no bridge but there is a cement surface to facilitate the passage of vehicles, are called fords or Irish crossings.
Take care: Many bridges are also transformed into fords at the height of a wave of flooding.
Don’t cross a stream either on food or in a car!
Don’t overestimate the vehicle’s capabilities!
Go back!
If the car is immobilised for any reason, abandon it before it is carried away and seek a stable refuge.
The doors of a vehicle which is overwhelmed by floodwater will not open because of the external pressure of the water. In the event that the windows will not open either for some reason, keep calm, remove the headrest from the seat and use it to break a window so that you can get out of the vehicle.
Bear in mind that the last part of the car to sink is the rear window.
Protection from lightning
Rainstorms are often accompanied by lightning, which can be observed up to 15 km from the point of maximum rainfall. If you hear thunder it means that you are in an area where you may be at risk from a lightning strike.
To estimate the distance of a lightning strike from where you are, measure the time between when you see the flash and when you hear the sound of thunder, in seconds. Divide the number of seconds by three to calculate the distance in kilometres.
To protect yourself from lightning:
— Stay away from trees.
— Avoid any kind of metal wire or cable (e.g. telephone poles).
— Don’t use a bicycle, moped or motorbike.
— Get away from seaside areas and bodies of water and seek refuge in some nearby building.
— If you are in a small boat or swimming, get onto dry land and seek refuge immediately.
— If you are in a car, stop at the side of the road away from trees, pylons and other structures and turn on the hazard warning lights. Close the windows and avoid contact with the metallic frame of the car.
— If you are somewhere high (hill/mountain/roof of a building), get down lower.
— If you are on level ground and feel your hair standing on end (which is a sign that a lightning strike is imminent), squat down with your head between your legs (so as to minimise your body surface and contact with the ground), throwing away any metallic objects you have on you (keys, coins).
— If you are somewhere inside, move away from windows, doors, boilers and any kind of metal piping. Don’t turn on electrical devices (e.g. fridge, hair dryer), because the lightning can pass inside via the power cables, and stay away from taps, bathtubs and basins.
— Protect sensitive electronic equipment and electrical devices from overload by removing their plug from the socket, if you have not already fitted a surge protector.
If someone near you is struck by lightning:
— Immediately call an ambulance on 166, saying that there is a lightning strike victim.
— If the victim is not breathing and you have the requisite knowledge, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation.
— People who have been struck by lightning do not carry a charge and you can touch them safely.
Check the passability of the road network and any emergency traffic measures at:
https://www.astynomia.gr/ektaktes–kykloforiakes–rythmiseis/ektakta_symvanta/ (in Greek only)
Follow the instructions of the authorities and only take information from official sources.
Get important information about your safety from the CivilCrete-Talos app, available at :
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.crete.civilcrete
https://apps.apple.com/gr/app/civilcrete–talos/id6444251726
Emergency telephone numbers:
112 European emergency number
199 Fire Service
100 Police
108 Coastguard
166 Ambulance
(Haniotika Nea, 29/11/24)
The CivilCrete app
The CivilCrete-Talos app, downloadable from the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store as detailed above, contains a great deal of useful local information for the island, including maps showing the location of population emergency shelters, first aid areas, mountain refuges, police and emergency services and much more. It has interfaces in Greek and English, selectable via the bar menu at the top right of the screen. Unlike many government apps, it has almost universally favourable reviews on both sites.