EU activates Copernicus mapping service to assess storm damage in Crete

The European Union’s Copernicus service has been activated for Crete to help record and map areas affected by the severe weather that began hitting the island on October 1, 2026.

On the order of the General Secretary for Civil Protection, the Directorate of Emergency Response Planning at the General Secretariat for Civil Protection, acting as the national contact point, activated the Copernicus Emergency Management Service – Mapping, under the activation code EMSR933.

According to the Civil Protection authority, the aim is to produce mapping products and data for areas of the Region of Crete affected by the intense weather phenomena since October 1, in order to support agencies involved in emergency response and in managing the consequences of the storms. The extent of the storm damage is still being assessed across several parts of the island, including areas placed under a red alert as conditions were expected to ease.

The request for activation was accepted by the European Union, and a series of mapping products and data derived from satellite image analysis is expected to be made available shortly, Civil Protection said.

Data to be shared with emergency agencies

Once available, the data and maps produced through the Copernicus Emergency Management Service/Mapping will be distributed immediately and free of charge by the Directorate of Emergency Response Planning to all agencies involved in managing the storm response, according to Civil Protection. The move follows reports of damage in several areas, including the Lasithi Plateau, where local authorities have declared a state of emergency after roads and crops were destroyed.