Chania’s latest heavy rain is another reminder that extreme weather is only half the problem. The city’s drainage infrastructure has to cope with rainfall patterns that have been recorded for decades — and the warning signs aren’t exactly new.
- Rainfall rates reached 140–160 mm per hour during one of the main episodes on October 14.
- The Chania airport weather station has recorded much larger 24-hour rainfall totals over the decades.
- Urban development means more concrete and asphalt, less ground available to absorb rain and faster runoff.
- A meteorologist is calling for six practical measures, from drainage inspections to new hydraulic studies and targeted infrastructure projects.
Chania’s Rain Is Not New
Heavy rainfall that hit Chania on October 14 caused temporary flooding across parts of the city’s road network.
According to meteorologist Manolis Lekkas, rainfall intensity reached approximately 140–160 millimeters per hour during the first major episode around 2:30 p.m., followed by a second episode around 6 p.m. with rates of approximately 100–120 millimeters per hour.
Individual short-duration episodes produced between 8 and 12 millimeters of rain, while the total 24-hour rainfall for October 14 reached approximately 30 millimeters.
That may sound manageable until the intensity is considered.
The historical record shows that Chania has experienced much larger rainfall events.
Lekkas reviewed historical records from the meteorological station at Chania International Airport, with available data extending back to 1959.
Among the high monthly maximum 24-hour rainfall totals he identified were:
- February 1971: 146 mm
- January 1981: 185 mm
- October 1983: 120 mm
- January 2001: 135 mm
- November 2004: 135 mm
There have also been numerous other days when rainfall exceeded, or came close to, 100 millimeters in 24 hours.
The point is not that every storm will produce these numbers.
The point is that Chania has seen them before.
And it can see them again.
Climate Change Isn’t the Drainage System
Climate change is undoubtedly part of the equation, but blaming every flooded road exclusively on the climate crisis doesn’t answer the more practical question:
What has the city done to prepare for water that it already knows can arrive?
Urban development has dramatically increased the amount of land covered by buildings, roads, asphalt and concrete.
That means less rainwater can naturally soak into the ground.
More water reaches streets and stormwater networks, and it does so faster.
During intense rainfall, drainage capacity becomes critical.
Six Things Chania Should Do
Lekkas argues that flood protection needs to move beyond post-storm explanations and into practical planning.
His recommendations include:
- Map recurring flood locations across the urban and peri-urban areas.
- Inspect existing stormwater networks and assess their condition, capacity, and performance.
- Review the location and density of drains and grates to determine whether they are adequate.
- Update hydraulic studies and redesign sections of the network that no longer meet requirements.
- Prioritize specific projects, with clear timelines, secured funding, and priority given to high-risk locations.
- Maintain and clean drains and pipelines systematically, rather than waiting for the next storm to reveal the problem.
The Important Stuff
Flood protection isn’t particularly glamorous.
There are no ribbon-cutting ceremonies for a freshly cleaned drain. Nobody gets a dramatic photograph beside a newly calculated hydraulic capacity.
But those things matter when the rain arrives.
Chania cannot control how much rain falls from the sky.
It can control whether its infrastructure is prepared to deal with it.
And the historical rainfall record makes one thing rather uncomfortable: this isn’t an entirely new problem waiting to be discovered.