A strong tornado on Tuesday afternoon, November 25, swept over the community of Avgoru in the Famagusta region, leaving behind destroyed houses and a completely blackout village. The storm tore off roofs, uprooted trees and destroyed dozens of rooftop photovoltaic systems and water heaters. For a quiet rural area, such a disaster was a truly shocking event, although in recent years Cyprus has increasingly been faced with local extreme atmospheric phenomena.
The Cyprus Electricity Authority confirmed that the damage had affected low-voltage lines, plunging Avgora completely into darkness. EAC repair teams, representatives of the Famagusta district administration and staff from the Local Government Organization arrived at the site to assess the extent of the damage and begin restoration work. Deputy Mayor Panagiotis Michaelas was also notified of the incident. The same front caused destruction in the neighboring communities of Frenaros, Sotira and Kapparis in Paralimni, where residents also reported hurricane-force wind gusts.
Eyewitnesses say that the disaster struck unexpectedly. Local resident Paraskevi Tsuka admitted that she heard “a roar like an airplane taking off,” and her daughter immediately realized that a tornado was approaching the house. The women took refuge under a table while the wind tore the solar panels and air conditioner from their mountings. Elena Margari described how her brother and sister-in-law were forced to run from the car when debris began to hit the body. When they approached the house, they discovered that part of the roof had disappeared and the room was flooded with rainwater - fortunately, no one was inside.
Andrula Ioannou recalls how, immediately after the tornado hit, she went outside and saw a huge cypress tree that had fallen to the ground. She stressed that the main thing was that the children were safe inside the house.
According to preliminary estimates by local authorities, restoration work may take several days, and a full assessment of the damage will be completed after inspections are completed. Meteorologists warn that sudden changes in weather conditions in Cyprus, including the formation of local tornadoes, are becoming more common due to global climate change.
Source: in-cyprus.philenews.com
