A tornado that struck the Kellia community in Larnaca has left a trail of destruction, causing approximately €19,000 in damages across various properties.
Larnaca District Officer, Odysseas Hadjistefanou, reported that teams from the District Administration swiftly arrived on the scene to assess the aftermath and facilitate the clearing of roads strewn with debris from the tornado.
Hadjistefanou stated, “Our assessment revealed that 14 structures were affected by the tornado, resulting in an estimated €19,000 in damages.”
The tornado wreaked havoc by dislodging solar panels and water heaters from residential rooftops, hurling them onto the streets. Electricity poles belonging were knocked over, and trees were uprooted due to the powerful winds.
Hadjistefanou mentioned that the inventory of damages would be submitted to the Ministry of Interior for examination.
Panayiotis Tyrimou, the Community Leader of Kellia, recounted the unexpected event, saying, “Around midday on Monday, August 28, we received reports of a tornado with strong winds that lasted for about 5 to 6 minutes. This phenomenon was unprecedented in our community, causing panic to some residents.”
Tyrimou continued, “The tornado ripped solar water heaters and photovoltaic panels from rooftops, tossing them several meters away. It upended trees, took down three electricity poles owned by the Electricity Authority, and brought down a wall of a house.”
He also pointed out, “The tornado didn’t spare livestock-related structures, moving objects as far as 100 meters.”
Tyrimou conveyed, “I promptly alerted the Larnaca District Officer about the extent of the damage. Today, response teams were dispatched to the area to assess the situation, document the damages, and assist in the cleanup efforts, including the removal of debris strewn across the community’s roads.”
No injuries were reported.
(Photos by the Cyprus News Agency – Fanitsa Zanettou)
