Heavy rains swamp Crete’s Lasithi Plateau, wiping out up to 70% of crops

A pair of severe weather spells—first on Sept. 30 and again on Oct. 13-15—triggered the Agios Georgios and Havgas rivers and a reservoir to burst their banks, flooding the agricultural plain of Crete’s Lasithi Plateau. Manolis Krasanakis, head of the Lasithi Plateau Agricultural Cooperative, said between 60 % and 70 % of the season’s potatoes, vegetables and other crops have been lost, with 280 farmers submitting claims for 1,310 acres of destroyed land.

Meteorologist Kostas Lagouvardos noted that more than 530 mm of rain fell over 18 days, an extreme total that overwhelmed the plateau’s drainage. Residents blame a delayed opening of a sluice gate at the nearby Aposelemis Dam and a malfunctioning tunnel valve for exacerbating the flood. While the dam’s reservoir now holds enough water to secure municipal supplies through 2030, locals receive no compensation, and officials have yet to outline a flood-protection plan.