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Storm causes extensive damage, elderly couple’s roof blows away (Update 2)

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Damage to the E-Hotel in Pervolia (Photo: Larnaca Press)

Storms hit many parts of Cyprus overnight on Saturday, causing damage to houses and a hotel in Pervolia, uprooting trees and causing power cuts in some areas of Larnaca and Limassol.

Officials from all districts were out on Sunday counting the cost of the damage, and will continue on Monday.

In Paraklisia, Limassol an elderly couple was left homeless when the roof of their house was taken by strong winds and ended up metres away, and in the process destroying a fence where they kept their goats, according to CNA reports.

According to the owner, Prokopi Christofi, the incident occurred shortly before 11pm, while he and his wife were in the house, which literally began to shake, he said.

The storms also caused different levels of damage in other districts. There were no reports of injuries however.

According to the fire service they answered 40 calls for help over the past 24 hours, mostly weather related. In Nicosia they answered 14 calls, Limassol 9, Larnaca 6, Paphos 4 and in the Famagusta district 1, they said.

The incidents were related to falling trees rescuing trapped motorists, falling water tanks from roofs, falling EAC cables, opening drains and clearing up roads from objects whipped from homes due to strong winds.

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Damage to a hotel in Pervolia (CNA)

According to police, 30 minutes after midnight, information was received about severe problems in the Faros area of Pervolia in Larnaca. Kiti police went to the area where they found uprooted trees, damaged public works signs, pieces of concrete and wooden and iron fences on the roads.

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A part of a first-floor balcony at the E-hotel, broke off (Photo: Larnaca Press

The south side of the E-Hotel resort, which is closed due to the pandemic, had suffered extensive damage, with windows being broken, part of the wall on the balcony of an apartment had fallen and fences and gates were broken.

Homes nearby sustained similar damage, mainly shattered windows.

Two EAC poles were also toppled while an ornamental fishing boat owned by the Pervolia community council was swept onshore and was found in the middle of the road.

The fire brigade, EAC technicians and local officials went to the area to try to clear the roads and restore power. Members of the Larnaca traffic police also went to the area for help.

Police, EAC officials and members of the emergency response unit Emak, were also called to the Kofinou area where similar problems occurred.

At a tavern in Skarinou, four trees were uprooted and fell onto the road, closing traffic in both directions, and a number of EAC cables.

Police also received information that on the left lane of the Larnaca-Limassol highway near Alethriko, a large piece of corrugated iron, probably the roof of a shed, caused a road to be closed until it was removed.

A Larnaca District official said they would be heading for Pervolia on Monday to fully assess the damage.

“What is recorded will be sent to the Council of Ministers in order to judge whether the damage falls into the category that results in compensation,’ the official said. “Last night we had a very bad night. Pervolia seems to have been the epicentre of the storm and strong winds.”

Asked to comment on the fact that the residents in the area were talking about a tornado, the official said he does not have anything official about a tornado. “What I know is that there were very strong winds and a lot of damage has been done.”

The mayor of Pervolia, Costas Tiggis, said the damage was great “but fortunately we did not mourn any victims”.

However, there were cases when various objects fell into houses, while people were asleep.

 

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