Filenews 17 January 2023 - by Angelos Nicolaou
The weekend floods in the areas of the central tourist area of Protaras, the tourist area of Pernera, the tourist area of Agia Triada and the area near the 3rd Primary School of Paralimni, are due to overflows of watercourses, and may be attributed to an extreme flooding event, however the main causes must be sought in human actions and human omissions.
Criminal omissions since the natural bed and the riparian zone of the rivers were not preserved, as a result of which the areas were vulnerable to flood risks and it is no coincidence that roads were turned into rivers, property was destroyed and the sea of Protaras was filled with red soil.
Through data obtained by "F" from the Water Development Department (WDD), the floods in the tourist area of Protaras and the tourist area of Pernera seem to be due in combination with the extreme rainfall with the fact that the watercourses of a significant watershed of the order of 1-2 square kilometres have been abolished and replaced with rainwater culverts.
The culverts seem to have overflowed at their entrance, either due to clogging by sediments, or due to larger flows than they can carry, or due to a combination of the above reasons and to have followed the natural course of the looms through the roads.
Regarding the floods in the area of Agia Triada, according to the WDD, they seem to be due to a watercourse of a significant watershed of the order of 2-3 square kilometres and overflow of the culverts of the road intersections with the watercourse, either due to clogging by sediments or due to greater flows than they can carry, or due to a combination of the above reasons. This watercourse exists although there are pressures and requests for the conversion of its protection zone into a tourist zone for the construction of a hotel and its closure and replacement with a culvert based on a study prepared by the Paralimni Sewerage Board. However, the WDD disagreed and the request was not approved for the time being.
As for the floods in the area of the 3rd primary school, they seem to be due to the overflow of a watercourse of an important watershed of one square kilometre in combination with high flows in the inflow river of Paralimni Lake (Vathis) in which the watercourse ends. It seems that the part of the estuary of the watercourse in the river has been abolished and replaced with a culvert that flows into the river and it seems that the waters of the watercourse overflowed at the entrance of the culvert either due to greater flows than the culvert can carry, or due to clogging of the entrance by sediments, or due to a combination of the above and followed the natural course to the river through the roads. It is possible, however, that the junction bridge of the main river had overflowed for the above reasons. It is noted that the Vathi River is one of the 38 Areas of Potential Significant Flood Risk.
Specifically, the inflow river and Paralimni lake are adjacent to the Tasos Markos stadium. There is an increased severity of flooding due to very low slope of the river and riparian area. It passes through residential areas, commercial and industrial and public use zones, but also a zone without protection. The area around the lake is under intense pressure from residential development. It is noted that, among other things, the inflows to the lake come from inflows from the Vathi river which drains most of the watershed, from inflows from the Vouni river from the Sotiras area, from inflows at various points around the lake from small basins downstream of the Vathi river, as well as from direct rainfall in the lake. of a significant watershed of the order of one square kilometre in combination with high flows in the inflow river of Paralimni Lake (Vathys) in which the watercourse ends.
It seems that the part of the estuary of the watercourse in the river has been abolished and replaced with a culvert that flows into the river and it seems that the waters of the watercourse overflowed at the entrance of the culvert either due to greater flows than the culvert can carry, or due to clogging of the entrance by sediments, or due to a combination of the above and followed the natural course to the river through the roads. It is possible, however, that the junction bridge of the main river had overflowed for the above reasons. It is noted that the Vathi River is one of the 38 Areas of Potential Significant Flood Risk.
Specifically, the inflow river and Paralimni lake are adjacent to the Tasos Markos stadium. There is an increased severity of flooding due to very low slope of the river and riparian area. It passes through residential areas, commercial and industrial and public use zones, but also a zone without protection. The area around the lake is under intense pressure from residential development. It is noted that, among other things, the inflows to the lake come from inflows from the Vathi river which drains most of the watershed, from inflows from the Vouni river from the Sotiras area, from inflows at various points around the lake from small basins downstream of the Vathi river, as well as from direct rainfall into the lake.
It appears to be an extreme flooding event
The Cape Greco meteorological station recorded 148 millimetres of rainfall in 24 hours, which corresponds to a rainfall of a return period of about 50 years based on the rainfall curves of the stations in the area (Deryneia, Ayia Napa, Paralimni).
However, according to the Water Development Department, because the floods concern watercourses of a relatively small watershed with a confluence time of half an hour to one hour, the critical duration of rainfall is of the order of 1 hour, so in order to estimate more accurately how extreme the flooding event was, we need to know the maximum intensity of the rainfall lasting one hour. So far, the WDD points out, this information has not been provided by the Department of Meteorology.
