- The Municipality of Rethymno is installing new meteorological stations and river-monitoring depth gauges (bathymeters) along the Arkadiotis and Platanianos rivers.
- The Municipal Civil Protection Committee met, chaired by Deputy Mayor Giorgos Skordilis, to review winter readiness, riverbed cleaning, and emergency response protocols.
- Officials evaluated the Potami Dam’s critical flood-control measures after recent severe weather events tested the region’s mountain infrastructure.
- Representatives from the ODK, armed forces, police, fire service, and local volunteer networks coordinated operational plans to prioritize human safety and infrastructure resilience.
Rethymno is stepping up preparations for the winter season with new weather monitoring stations, river-level systems, and a wider emergency response plan designed to improve early warning during extreme weather.
The Municipality of Rethymno is also focusing on clearing riverbeds, coordinating emergencies, and operating the Potami Dam during extreme weather events.
The measures were discussed at an expanded meeting of the Municipality’s Local Operational Civil Protection Coordination Body, chaired by Deputy Mayor for Civil Protection and Climate Change Giorgos Skordilis.
More Eyes on the Weather and Rivers
The Municipality says it has been developing a network of monitoring systems across its extensive geographical area.
This includes new weather stations and two water-level monitoring devices on the Arkadiotis and Platanianos rivers.
Two air-pollution monitoring stations are also planned.
The goal is straightforward: collect better information about environmental conditions and give municipal services earlier warning when intervention may be needed.
Potami Dam and Riverbeds Under Scrutiny
The operation of the Potami Dam was another major topic, particularly its role in flood protection during extreme rainfall.
Officials also stressed the need to ensure riverbeds are properly cleared as part of broader efforts to reduce heavy rain’s impact.
Recent weather events in mountainous Rethymno were reviewed during the meeting, with officials assessing how the city and surrounding settlements responded and whether available equipment and procedures were adequate.
Preparing for More Extreme Conditions
Deputy Mayor Skordilis emphasized that adapting to changing climate conditions must go hand in hand with resilient essential infrastructure.
The meeting brought together representatives from municipal services, local communities, the armed forces, security services, EKAV, education authorities, DEDDIE, Civil Protection, technical services and volunteer organizations.
They reviewed their emergency responsibilities, available equipment, and procedures, and discussed ways to improve coordination between agencies.
Officials stressed that protecting human life, the natural environment, and infrastructure remains the priority.