Crotia. Storms Stir the Adriatic Sea. An intense winter storm raced across the Mediterranean on November 13 and 14, 2004. Gale-force winds sank three ships off Algiers, Algeria, and heavy rain drenched the country. Overnight, the storm moved north to Italy and the Adriatic Sea. Here, the storm halted air, road and sea traffic with winds that gusted up to 200 kilometers per hour (125 mph), according to local media reports. As it swept east across Europe on November 15, the storm cut off power and damaged communities in Croatia on the Adriatic coast and in Romania, where more than 50 centimeters (18 inches) of snow fell.[NASA]