HUNDREDS of thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused to roads, cars and houses from the three days of torrential rain and strong winds that swept across the island.
Interior Minister Andreas Christou yesterday visited the Industrial areas of Zakaki and Ypsonas in Limassol, pledging he would take the necessary measures to compensate factory owners whose premises had been damaged by the rain. He also said that inspections would be made on houses that had flooded and that residents would be awarded allocated compensation for the damage.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Timis Efthimiou said that due to the freak weather that had continued until Monday afternoon, the Ministry had so far been unable to evaluate the damage sustained by farmer’ crops. But the minister reassured farmers that compensation would be made available.
Roads that had been submerged in water yesterday began to clear, with only puddles and muddy fields still testifying to the heavy rain. Municipalities were yesterday working to clear up remaining surface water and to repair potholes caused by the bad weather.
But the torrential rain did not only bring destruction. According to the Cyprus Water Board, the island’s dams filled up with 13,600,000 cubic metres within 24 hours during the storms. In the Paphos district, the Arminou dam overflowed.
Yesterday, the 17 dams in Cyprus held 182,270,000 cubic metres of water, compared to the 116,803,000 cubic metres on the same date last year. The dams are 66 per cent full.
But Efthimiou warned consumers that simply because the dams were now nearly full, this did not change the fact that water prices would have to rise.
“The price of water will still rise regardless of how much water is in the dams. This is because we must meet with EU standards, and we do not know when the dams will be this full again,” the agriculture minister said.
He added that the cost of water in Cyprus was among the lowest in Europe.
Police said yesterday the roads towards Troodos were still closed to all vehicles without snow chains or four-wheel drive. Other roads closed in recent days, such as Karvounas-Kyperounda and Agros-Papoutsas are now open, but drivers are cautioned that the tarmac is slippery.
Police also warned drivers to steer clear of bridges in rural areas, as some were still flooded and dangerous.
