Storm causes flooding in Crete, Greece, forcing tourists to evacuate

Flooding caused by a storm trapped some people in their cars and forced the evacuation of some tourists on the Greek resort island of Crete, local officials said today.

Agence France-Presse reported that the water was so strong that some vehicles and trees were swept directly into the sea.

"We had to evacuate several tourists and one woman was taken to hospital as a precaution," Manolis Frangoulis, mayor of the Cretan port city of Ierapetra, told AFP.

This town on the southeastern coast of Crete was hit by heavy rains yesterday and today, with some roads interrupted due to large amounts of rubble and silt.

"There are vehicles that have been swept into the ocean, and the entire department is working hard to at least restore traffic," Frangoulis said.

State-owned television station ERT reported that 23 people were trapped in cars due to flooding on the road between Ierapetra and Sitia.

According to ERT, three tourists and their taxi driver had to abandon their car to escape as floodwaters began to wash away their vehicles.

In the popular tourist destination of Chania, huge waves caused damage to beachfront restaurants and tourist spots. Civil protection agencies called on residents in several towns to reduce unnecessary movements.