€500 million in damages and NATO help: How Slovenia fights the devastating flood
Photo: flood in Slovenia (twitter.com/SirVassago)
Slovenia faced a widespread flood over the past week due to heavy rainfall. Six people have already died because of the disaster. Roads and railways have remained submerged for several days. The country's government has estimated damages amounting to 500 million euros and has reached out for assistance from the European Union and NATO.
RBC-Ukraine has collected all the details on the devastating flood in Slovenia.
Record-breaking flood
A sudden flood began in Slovenia on Thursday, August 3rd, triggered by intense rainfall. Between 100 to 200 millimeters of rain fell, leading to flooding in the central and northern regions of the country. Rivers overflowed their banks, and landslides cut off entire settlements from road access.
Eyewitnesses describe the water's rapid rise as a tsunami. Many residents in the Gorizia and Koroška regions were trapped in their homes and sought refuge on higher floors.
In Menges, a town located 10 kilometers from the capital Ljubljana, a nursery was submerged. Rescuers carried 22 children through waist-deep waters.
Photo: evacuation from a nursery (twitter.com/JAtanackov)
Due to rising water levels in the Sava River, an "extraordinary event" signal was issued at the Krško nuclear power plant. Sirens blared in the towns of Sloven Gradec and Celje.
The town of Črna-na-Koroškem, situated about 100 kilometers north of the capital, was cut off from roads. Humanitarian aid was delivered via military helicopters.
Approximately 500 people were evacuated from the village of Spodnja Bistrica after a dam breach on the Mura River.
#Slovenia #flooding#KamnikBistrica pic.twitter.com/5eqKyRy6gG
— Marin Versic (@VersicAJB) August 4, 2023
Near the northern border with Croatia, a camping site was submerged. Around 400 tourists were evacuated by helicopters.
Photo: flooded camping site (twitter.com/JAtanackov)
The Slovenian government has labeled this flood as the most destructive since the country's independence in 1991. Only over the weekend did the floodwaters begin to decrease gradually.
Casualties update
As of August 7th, at least 6 fatalities have been confirmed as a result of the disaster. Among them were two mountaineers from the Netherlands who perished in the Kranj region. They had probably been struck by lightning. Additionally, the flood claimed the lives of 4 Slovenians.
In #Slowenien gelten nach schweren Unwettern inzwischen zwei Drittel des Landes als Überschwemmungsgebiet. Für das kleine EU-Land zwischen Alpen und Adria ist es ein Jahrhunderthochwasser. pic.twitter.com/I0QL7zjfrK
— ZDFheute (@ZDFheute) August 7, 2023
On Sunday, rescuers recovered the body of a 35-year-old man from the Mirna Perč village in the eastern part of the country.
Another man, who was involved in rescue operations, was found dead after falling into a sewage pit near the town of Kamnik, close to Ljubljana.
Search and rescue efforts are ongoing.
#flood in #Slovenia due to heavy #rain. pic.twitter.com/oxKqKfir3o
— Marc Witteveen (@marcwitteveen) August 4, 2023
500 million euro in damages
Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob stated that the estimated damage from the flood stands at around 500 million euros.
Two-thirds of the country's territory, as well as its energy and road infrastructure, have been affected. Hundreds of residential buildings have been damaged.
The government has allocated over 10 million dollars in humanitarian aid to assist residents in the affected regions.
Slovenia appeals for EU and NATO assistance
Slovenia has called upon the European Union and NATO to provide assistance under the Civil Protection Mechanism. This technical aid includes heavy machinery for debris removal, engineering teams, and temporary bridging solutions.
From NATO, Slovenian authorities have requested 5 military helicopters with a cargo capacity of at least 5 tons for transportation purposes. Additionally, they've asked for 200 military personnel to participate in rescue operations and provide aid.
Photo: NATO will provide military helicopters and personnel to assist Slovenia (twitter.com/NATOpress)
Through the Euro-Atlantic Disaster Response Coordination Center (EADRCC) of NATO, Spain has offered a heavy CH-47 helicopter and up to 25 personnel. Bulgaria, Germany, and France have extended their support, including helicopters, excavators, bridging equipment, and engineering teams. The United States has also deployed personnel to Ljubljana to assess the situation and determine urgent humanitarian needs.
Assistance is being provided to Slovenia by neighboring countries Croatia and Hungary. It is expected that on August 9th, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, will visit Slovenia to discuss the necessary support from the European Union.
Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has expressed its readiness to aid the affected regions of Slovenia. Oleg Nikolenko, the ministry's spokesperson, said that Ukraine is prepared to send helicopters for search and rescue operations.
