Residents in the community of Xylofagou faced despair yesterday as water flooded their homes, leaving them unable to cope with the situation.
A 77-year-old woman climbed onto her flooded kitchen counter, screaming for help. Another, aged 90, was trapped in her bed.
The community leader of Xylofagou, Georgios Tasou, described the night as the most difficult they have ever experienced.
“I am 70 years old and have never seen Xylofagou turn into a small Venice and become a huge river,” he said, adding that “some older people woke up terrified and called their children for help until the fire service arrived. These people had a very difficult time,” he said.
“When you see water entering and can’t do anything, you just scream for help,” describes 77-year-old Panayiota Theori, a resident of Xylofagou, in tears on Alpha TV. She said that Monday was the “worst night” of her life.
She explains that the streets around her house flooded, leading to water entering her yard and then her kitchen. “I immediately called my children, but the yard was flooded, and they couldn’t get through. I didn’t know what to do. I went to the window, climbed on the counter and screamed for my children’s help.”
In another case, a 90-year-old woman and her caregiver were endangered by the waters. Maria Michaelidou, the daughter of the 90-year-old, spoke to OMEGA TV, describing their experience. “She called me, crying. When we arrived, we found chaos. The water had reached her bed, and we tried to remove it from the house. How could she walk in that condition?” she said.
Tasou said that over 30 homes and businesses were filled with mud and suffered damages. “Due to the volume of water, the stormwater system couldn’t cope, leading to these problems.” He noted that for four years, they have been requesting to extend the operating hours of the fire station, which currently operates only during the day.
In addition to the flooding, a tornado caused havoc in the nearby Ayia Napa area, with residents capturing its path on social media.
The Fire Service was stretched to its limits, responding to 76 calls in 24 hours, including rescues of elderly individuals trapped in their homes.
