Limassol is one of those cities that enjoys approximately 300 days of good weather each year, but the storms that would hit throughout its long history would almost always leave their mark. Flooding had always been major issue for Limassol, and 3 major floods in history have remained a part of the city's collective memory, illustrated by rare yet shocking photographs.
One of the first, destructive floods in the city’s memory took place in 1894. Water, mud and debris gushed through the narrow streets of the old city, sweeping up everything in their way. The houses in the Turkish Cypriot neighborhoods suffered the most damange, so much so that an international fundraiser was created to help cover the expenses for their recovery.
The 20th century also saw some extreme weather disasters, which mostly hit the historical city center. A charactersistic photo dating back to 1954, depicting the area where Castle Square is located now now, shows people wading through flooded streets after a storm.
The most memorable disaster, however, was the storm that hit just before Christmas of 1968, which left death and irredeemable destruction in its wake.
Source: Limassol Historical Archive
* NOTE: The tributes of the Project "History of Limassol" present information that has emerged from historical research thus far. Any new data is embedded into the tributes, once it has been confirmed.
