Massive floods kill three, wreak havoc all over Albania
Story Highlights
- Hundreds of homes were underwater as damage and power cuts were reported across the country, from the northern tip to the south. The most affected cities are Tirana, Durres, Fushe-Kruja, Vlora, Gjirokastra, Shkodra, Lezha, Peshkopia, according to official sources. Upon an order by the Albanian Ministry of Education, kindergartens and schools were closed for two days in a row.
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TIRANA, Nov.10 – Massive floods from heavy rains have killed at least three people in Albania, where authorities declared an emergency situation throughout country. Hundreds of people have been evacuated from their homes.
One victim was swept away in his car while trying to drive across a swollen stream, another was found drowned on the banks of the Tirana River. A third man was blown off his roof by strong winds.
Hundreds of homes were underwater as damage and power cuts were reported across the country, from the northern tip to the south.
The most affected cities are Tirana, Durres, Fushe-Kruja, Vlora, Gjirokastra, Shkodra, Lezha, Peshkopia, according to official sources.
Upon an order by the Albanian Ministry of Education, kindergartens and schools were closed for two days in a row.
Army and emergency services were mobilized to evacuate people from some of the most hit areas.
In the capital, hundreds of homes and commercial buildings, including one of the country’s largest shopping malls, City Park, were damaged as the city’s drainage system failed to cope with the water flows.
The main highway linking Tirana with the country’s sole international airport was also closed by the floods Tuesday morning.
The interior ministry ordered the local authorities and emergency committees to activate their emergency plans.
As torrential rains persisted until Wednesday evening, authorities sent army troops and other personnel to help evacuate dozens of families stranded in in the worst-affected areas to be evacuated to safety.
Ministry of Defence allocated about 30 army officers, six vehicles and small boats to the northern Lezha district to evacuate three families stranded in their flooded homes.
Almost all of the country’s institutions including army, civil emergencies staff and Ministry of Interior are in full alert and ready to cope with the aggravated situation.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Edi Rama met with civil emergencies staff and urged immediate response measures to support citizens.
The flooded areas in northern Albania are expanding due to the overflow of swollen rivers and water discharge from hydropower plants in Drin river cascade.
Albania’s Power Corporation, KESH, has said that the rainfall will boost energy production in the three main hydropower plants on the Drin River cascade.
Meteorologists warned that rain storms are expected to move to the country’s central and southern areas in the next few days.
In the past years, Albania has experienced medium and large disaster events, including regular floods.
Over the last two decades, rivers of Vjosa, Osum and Shkumbin have been stripped by thousands of trees that used to hold the soil in place. These trees acted as a sponge during rainfall and protected the areas from soil erosion that can accelerate flood damage.
Environmentalists have blamed villagers desperate for wood, entrepreneurs paving the way for buildings and boom in dam construction
In December 2010, there were major floods in the Lower Drini-Buna River Basin costing the Albanian economy EUR 37 million. Floods in February 2015 in the southern areas of Albania caused significant damages to infrastructure and agricultural livelihood. Water levels in the southeastern part of the country experienced an unprecedented rise. The floods were Albania’s second worst on record as the government called for international support to handle the situation.
European Union, World Bank and United Nations have been engaged in the development of a simplified post-disaster needs assessment in coordination with relevant line ministries and central level agencies.
The World Bank is also restructuring an ongoing irrigation and water resources project by earmarking resources to help government rebuild irrigation and associated infrastructure damaged after the recent floods.
