Crete is assessing the damage after the severe storm, which left one person dead, flooded streets, flooded homes and stores, damage to infrastructure and crops, as well as dozens of rescue operations by authorities to free trapped people and pump out water.

Although the storm temporarily subsided starting Thursday afternoon, concern remains high, as a new round of heavy rainfall is expected starting Friday afternoon, mainly in the northern and mountainous parts of the island, lasting until Sunday afternoon.

New Emergency Bulletin from the National Meteorological Service

As reported by the National Meteorological Service in its updated emergency bulletin, severe weather conditions will continue intermittently in the southern Aegean, centered mainly on Crete.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to persist until noon on Sunday (October 4, 2026), while locally very stormy northeasterly winds in the Aegean will persist until Saturday afternoon (October 3, 2026).

More specifically, the following are expected:

1. Locally heavy rain and thunderstorms are forecast:

In Crete, mainly starting Friday afternoon (October 2, 2026) and continuing through Saturday (October 3, 2026).

2. Locally very stormy northeasterly winds of 8 to 9 Beaufort are expected to blow in the Aegean Sea until Saturday afternoon.

Enormous amounts of rain fell

Indicative of the severity of the storm is the fact that in Anogia, Rethymno, 361,4 millimeters of rain were recorded in Anogia, Rethymno, from Wednesday, September 30, through noon on Thursday, October 1.

This amount of rainfall is close to what is typically recorded in Athens over the course of an entire year.

79-Year-Old Farmer Killed in Rethymno

The most tragic consequence of the severe weather was the death of a 79-year-old shepherd in Karines, in the municipality of Agios Vasilios, Rethymno.

The elderly man had gone to his sheepfold, about 200 meters from his home, to feed his animals. By the time he finished his work, the rain had already intensified.

In an effort to return more quickly, he attempted to cross from one bank of a stream to the other, unaware in the darkness that the stream had overflowed and the water level had reached about two meters.

The raging torrent swept him away about 800 meters.

The 79-year-old man was found dead shortly after 12:00 p.m. on Thursday at the Kavalaris location, crushed by debris and trapped in vegetation.

Mylopotamos Declared a State of Emergency

Severe damage was caused in the mountainous region of Mylopotamos, where streams overflowed, roads turned into rivers, and large volumes of mud and debris ended up in residential areas.

At the Diskourio Bridge in Livadia, Mylopotamos, a couple in their 60s became trapped inside a farm vehicle when the road gave way under the force of the torrent.

The vehicle was swept away and ended up in the riverbed, while the two passengers were rescued by the Fire Department and transported to the University Hospital of Heraklion.

In Zoniana, a river overflowed, trapping a driver inside his car, while muddy floodwaters and debris flooded homes and businesses.

Given the extent of the damage, the Municipality of Mylopotamos was declared to be in a state of emergency, following a request by Mayor Giorgos Klados to the Ministry of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection.

Alert for the Giofyros River

In Heraklion, the overflowing of the Giofyros River caused particular concern in the wider area of Drakouliari–Giofyros–Foinikia–Malades.

The floodwaters reached homes and businesses, and the road from Malades to Drakouliari and Finikia was closed.

Authorities and Civil Protection have made it a priority to prevent a recurrence of the deadly floods that have plagued the region in the past.

In 1937, 19 people lost their lives when the Giofyros River swept away the mud-brick houses of a refugee camp.

In 1968, another deadly flood occurred, claiming three lives, while in the late 1980s, four more people drowned in houses and the basements of apartment buildings following another flood.

The regional government conducts regular cleanups of the river and streams in the area; however, heavy rainfall consistently carries large quantities of branches, debris, trash, and other carried-in materials.

Cars in the sea in Gouves

The damage was also severe in Gouves, in the Municipality of Hersonissos, where a local stream swelled and the Gouvianos River turned into a raging torrent.

Parked cars were swept away by the floodwaters and ended up in the sea, while tourists were temporarily trapped in their hotel.

Restoration crews, equipped with cranes and specialized equipment, took about three hours to reposition a bridge that had been dislodged by the raging waters.

The situation was similar in Hersonissos and Gournes, where large amounts of debris ended up on the beachfront.

Residents compared the scenes to those of the severe flooding in 2020.

Damage in Lasithi and Anogia

The situation was also difficult in the Regional Unit of Lasithi.

On the Lassithi Plateau, heavy rainfall caused significant damage to the plains and crops, and traffic was banned.

In Anogia, power outages, landslides, and large amounts of mud on the roads were reported.

Traffic on the Axos–Anogia road was temporarily suspended, while municipal crews and private contractors worked to clear away debris.

255 Calls to the Fire Department

The Fire Department’s Operations Center received 255 calls due to heavy rainfall in the regional units of Rethymno, Heraklion, and Lasithi.

In Heraklion, particularly in Malades and Foinikia, 13 people were transported to safe locations and eight water pumping operations were carried out.

In Rethymno, primarily in the areas of Mylopotamos and Zoniana, three people were evacuated and water was pumped out on 15 occasions.

In Lasithi, one person was transported to a safe location, and water was pumped 15 times.

The Fire Department remained heavily mobilized for water pumping, tree cutting, and evacuating citizens, while municipalities provided heavy equipment to clear debris from the road network.

112 Alerts

During the severe weather, a series of 112 alerts were sent out urging people to limit travel.

At 9:34 a.m., a warning was sent for the Minoa Pediada area in Heraklion, at 10:02 a.m. for the Municipality of Agios Nikolaos in Lasithi, and at 11:09 a.m. for Malades and Finikia.

New wave starting this afternoon – Rain expected through Sunday

According to the latest available forecast data from the National Observatory of Athens / meteo.gr, heavy rainfall temporarily subsided after noon on Thursday and, through noon on Friday, will be limited mainly to mountainous areas.

Starting Friday afternoon, however, a new round of heavy rainfall is expected, mainly in the northern and mountainous parts of Crete.

These conditions are expected to persist, with intermittent intensity, through the afternoon of Sunday, October 4.

Authorities are now also concerned that the ground is already saturated from the enormous amounts of rain that fell over the past 24 hours.

361 metric tons of water per stremma in Anogia

According to meteo.gr, 361.4 millimeters of rain were recorded in Anogia between Wednesday and noon on Thursday.

One millimeter of rain corresponds to one liter of water per square meter or one metric ton of water per stremma.

This means that more than 361 metric tons of water per stremma fell in the area, illustrating the extent of the strain placed on the ground in just a few hours.

Problems with coastal shipping persist

The severe weather conditions also caused problems for maritime navigation, as very stormy northeasterly winds blew in the Aegean Sea, reaching locally 8 to 9 on the Beaufort scale.

A sailing ban was imposed from Rafina and Lavrio, resulting in canceled sailings.

In Piraeus, ferries bound for Heraklion, Chania, and Chios–Mytilene were scheduled to depart, while high-speed boat services to the Argosaronic Gulf were suspended.

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