Bulgaria and Romania – Homes Damaged and Roads Closed as Rivers Overflow

Homes have been flooded and several roads and bridges closed after heavy rain caused rivers to overflow in Bulgaria and Romania.

Bulgaria

Officials in Bulgaria reported earlier today that the provinces of Plovdiv, Pazardjik, Sofia, Smolyan, Bourgas have all been affected. Officials added that, between 28 and 29 June, emergency services responded to 146 calls for assistance due to flooding and storm damage.

In Plovdiv Province evacuation orders were issued for residents living along the Chaya River in Sadovo Municipality, after river embankments had been breached in two locations. Over 50 houses have been flooded in the province and the road between Plovdiv and Haskovo is closed.

Over 30 homes were flooded in Smolyan province, where a state of emergency was declared in  Chepelare and in the municipality of Smolyan where the Cherna River has overflowed.

Around 26 homes were flooded or damaged by the storm in Pazardzhik province and 24 in Bourgas province. Homes and roads were damaged in Varna, Bourgas province, earlier this month after 71.5 mm of rain fell in 24 hours between 04 and early 05 June.

In Sofia Province, a small number of evacuations were carried out in villages near Etropole, where around 7 houses were damaged.

Bulgaria’s National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology has warned of further heavy rain and flooding

Flash flood warnings in Bulgaria, 28 June 2018. Image: National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology
Rainfall in Bulgaria, 27 to 28 June, 2018. Image: National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology

Romania

Flood and heavy rain warnings were issued in Romania, prompting the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) to mobilize emergency teams across the country, including 12,000 police and gendarme officers, 3,200 firefighters and over 6,600 technical staff.

Flooding was reported in north eastern areas, in particular in the counties of Iași and Bacău. MIA reports that between 28 and 29 June around 400 homes have been flooded and around 15 roads and bridges damaged or closed. Local media said that 20 households in Trifesti, Iași County, were evacuated by military firefighters.

The Prime Minister has called for damage assessments to be carried out as soon as the severe weather has passed so the Government can put in place concrete measures to help the population and affected communities.

Flooding in Bacau county, Romania, 28 June 2018. Photo: ISU Bacau
Flooding in Bacau county, Romania, 28 June 2018. Photo: ISU Bacau
Flooding in Bacau county, Romania, 28 June 2018. Photo: ISU Bacau
Flooding in Bacau county, Romania, 28 June 2018. Photo: ISU Bacau

Social Media

https://twitter.com/deZabedrosky/status/1012363594888110081

Flood Summary

Last updated: July 3, 2018
Event
Bulgaria, Romania and Ukraine, June 2018
Date
June 27 to July 2, 2018
Type
Flash flood
Cause
Extreme rainfall
Storms and heavy rain affected parts of Bulgaria from 27 June, then Romania and Ukraine. On 30 June, Romania Ministry of the Interior reported that flooding was reported in Alba, Arges, Bacau, Botosani, Brasov, Brăila, Buzău, Covasna, Hunedoara, Harghita, Iasi, Neamţ, Prahova, Sibiu, Teleorman, Vâlcea and Vrancea. The road link between the towns of Chiliile and Cănesti, Buzău County, was blocked, leaving 400 people isolated. Ukraine's Ministry of the Interior reported stormy weather and heavy rain had affected parts of Dnipropetrovsk, Lugansk, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernihiv regions.

Locations

A - Sadovo (Bulgaria)
B - Smolyan (Bulgaria)
C - Etropole (Bulgaria)
D - Trifesti, Iași County (Romania)
E - Bacău (Romania)
F - Neamt (Romania)
G - Covasna (Romania)
H - Botosani (Romania)
I - Suceava (Romania)
J - Dnipropetrovsk (Ukraine)
K - Lugansk (Ukraine)
L - Ivano-Frankivsk (Ukraine)
M - Chernihiv (Ukraine)

Magnitude

Rainfall level
58.1 mm in 24 hours
Mourgash, Bulgaria - June 28 to June 29, 2018
Rainfall level
53 mm in 24 hours
Mussala, Bulgaria - June 28 to June 29, 2018
Rainfall level
60 mm in 24 hours
Botosani, Romania - June 28 to June 29, 2018
Rainfall level
66.8 mm in 24 hours
Iasi, Romania - June 28 to June 29, 2018
Rainfall level
52.6 mm in 24 hours
Bucuresti Inmh-Banesa, Romania - June 28 to June 29, 2018
Rainfall level
51 mm in 24 hours
Rosiori De Vede, Romania - June 28 to June 29, 2018
Rainfall level
53 mm in 24 hours
Rimnicu Valcea, Romania - June 28 to June 29, 2018
Rainfall level
83 mm in 24 hours
Korca, Albania - June 28 to June 29, 2018

Damages

Buildings damaged
140 buildings
Bulgaria - June 27 to June 29, 2018
estimated figure based on reports from emergency services
Buildings damaged
400 buildings
Romania - June 27 to June 29, 2018
according to reports from MIA Romania
Evacuated
400 people
Romania - June 27 to July 1, 2018
400 people in Neamt county, 263 in Covasna county and the rest in Bacau, Botosani and Suceava county
Fatalities
4 people
Romania - June 27 to July 1, 2018
According to media reports
Buildings damaged
200 buildings
Ukraine - June 28 to July 3, 2018
According to media reports