Storms, flooding cause chaos on Greek holiday island of Crete

Heavy rainfall caused vehicles and trees to be swept into the sea Evacuations were conducted, and a woman was hospitalized as a precaution ATHENS: Floods after heavy storms trapped some people in their cars and forced the evacuation of some tourists on the Greek holiday island of Crete, local officials said Saturday. The force of the flooding washed some cars and trees into the sea. 'We had to evacuate a few tourists and a woman had to be taken to hospital as a precaution,' the mayor of the Cretan port of Ierapetra, Manolis Frangoulis, told AFP. The town, on the southeast coast of Crete, was hit by torrential rain Friday and Saturday, cutting off roads that had been filled with debris. 'We have cars in the sea and all the department is working to at least re-establish transport,' Frangoulis. On the road between Ierapetra and Sitia, flooding trapped 23 people in their cars, state television channel ERT reported. Three tourists and their taxi driver had to abandon their vehicle after flood waters began to carry away their vehicle, ERT added. At the port of Canea, a popular tourist destination, giant waves damaged seafront restaurants and tourist venues. The civil protection agency called on residents of several towns to limit their movements. The deputy governor of the Heraklion region, Nikos Syrigonakis, said emergency services were working to clear small landslides and remove debris from local roads. They remained on high alert, monitoring the water levels of the streams and rivers, he told the Greek news agency ANA. Between Friday and Saturday at 1550 GMT (6:50 pm), 42 cm of rain fell in the Canea department, said the Greek national observatory. The wind speeds were reached up to eight and nine on the Beaufort Scale, said the EMY weather service.