A TORNADO accompanied by hailstone and rain yesterday wreaked havoc in Nicosia injuring at least 17 people, tearing off roofs and water tanks, and uprooting trees.
The tornado started in the Latsia area, hit the Nicosia to Limassol motorway and then turned towards Aglandja and Pallouriotissa, the police said.
People who found themselves at the heart of the tornado said they had heard a loud buzzing noise before suddenly having to run for cover. Moments later they were faced with absolute destruction.
Telephone lines and electricity pylons were cut off, while 10 families were left homeless and had to spend last night in hotels.
Police set up a crisis management centre to deal with the situation, while the fire service scrambled to provide assistance to several areas in Latsia as well as the centre of Nicosia.
“There are cut trees on the roads or on vehicles. In the Latsia area, near the town hall, a lot of trees were cut by the tornado and the hard rain,” said fire service spokesman Marios Kyprianou.
Among those injured was the Swiss Ambassador, whose car was crushed by a huge tree trunk, just outside Lykavitos Police Station in central Nicosia.
According to the force’s spokesman, Michalis Katsounotos, the police received a large number of calls from distressed people requesting assistance.
Up until last night, there were 17 registered injuries, though none of them were serious. “We are talking of an almost biblical destruction,” Katsounotos told the CyBC, adding that it was too soon to estimate the precise extent of the damages. “We will have a better view of the matter tomorrow,” he said.
In the suburb of Ayios Dometios, chunks of asbestos were blown off into a garden from the neighbouring factory’s roof.
A large hailstone hit a woman on the head near the US embassy causing her minor shock, while another man narrowly escaped decapitation when a house’s water tank landed on his car.
Interior Minister Neoklis Sylikiotis visited the Latsia area, the most badly affected by the tornado, yesterday evening.
He said the state would support all those affected by the destruction, with priority given to sorting the electricity and water problems, as well as providing shelter for those whose homes were affected.
“We are lucky we didn’t have any victims,” said Sylikiotis. “The most important thing is to deal with the immediate problems now, so people can sleep peacefully tonight.”
He said electricity pylons had been uprooted, cables had snapped and there was general chaos.
“Local Authorities and Civil Aviation have already started registering the damages, so the necessary procedures can be followed,” said the minister, adding: “The state will support all those affected.”
Sylikiotis explained that the state budget included funds to deal with such calamities.
According to Meteorological Officer Stalo Papachristodoulou, the weather will continue to be unstable until Monday.
“The weather will be unstable over the next three days, with clouds, rain and storms, mainly inland, but also in coastal areas,” she explained.
Papachristodoulou didn’t exclude the possibility of a similar outcome to yesterday, so the public should be prepared.
The Cyprus Mail was inundated with witness reports and images of the catastrophe.
According to one eye witness, one of the worst effected areas in the capital was by the Journalists Union off Limassol Avenue, near the Kalispera Traffic lights.
“It is absolute chaos,” he said. “There are trees blocking the main road, corrugated sheets that came off roofs are strewn everywhere; the union has been completely destroyed, its signs blown away, as well as surrounding trees. It took absolute ages to get past the area, but once you leave there is nothing.”
Eleni from Latsia said, “As I headed towards my home in Latsia I couldn’t believe what I saw. The big Mc Donald’s sign had been torn down, a car lot was completely destroyed with cars upturned, road signs were torn off; one shop’s windows were all completely smashed. I couldn’t believe it. If I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn’t have believed it. It’s complete destruction.”
Skevos Chaidalas had been driving from Limassol towards Nicosia with his fiancée when he noticed the tornado forming near the Limassol-Larnaca junction.
By the time he reached the weighing station, he made the vital decision to turn left instead of right towards Latsia, his destination, where the tornado had already started reeking havoc.
He said, “I was so scared that I didn’t even think to try and get a closer photo of the tornado; I just wanted to get us as far away from it as possible.”
Panicos Andreou was also on the highway heading towards Nicosia when the massive tornado passed over the highway.
He said, “The tornado actually took over all four lanes of the highway; it was huge”.
l To contact the Police Crisis Team, call: 22-808080 or the Civilian Hotline on 1460
