By Ledion Veshi
TIRANA, Jan. 7 – The first week of 2016 saw heavy rains and floods throughout Albania, with the central and western regions hit hardest.
The heaviest rainfall in the Albanian capital was registered in the afternoon and early evening hours on Wednesday, causing traffic disruptions, while incessant rain also caused the Lana River, which streams through Tirana, to surge above its higher banks in certain places.
Albania’s Ministry of the Interior said 25 families had to be evacuated from their homes in the outskirts of Tirana as water threatened to flood their dwellings.
The heavy rain was also responsible for similar situations elsewhere around Tirana, including the presence of water in the national road linking Tirana with the nearby city of Durres.
Meanwhile, several schools suspended their activity for the day in the Albanian capital.
The most critically affected area was the district of Lezha, with the area being under the threat of floods. The minister of agriculture Edmond Panariti traveled to the area on Wednesday to closely monitor the situation.
As rain continued through the night, large swathes of land across the country were submerged in water.
Under water
The hardest hit area was Shijak and surrounding areas, where the Erzen river burst its banks resulting in serious flooding of hundreds of hectares of land causing damages in livestock, but luckily resulting in no loss of human life.
About a hundred families had to be evacuated from the area, according to Albania’s Ministry of the Interior.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, returning from a trip to the United States after personally inspecting the flooded areas blamed the situation on what he described as “the cost of haphazard constructions and projects, a barbaric behavior towards the environment” , making reference to buildings built chaotically without a proper urban plan, a common sight in the Albanian landscape. Rama also praised the moratorium on logging as a measure which will help protect the environment.
Army called in
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defense said it had dislocated 180 troops, including 20 heavy vehicles and a Cougar helicopter to provide relief operations throughout the country.
The Shkumbin river also broke its banks near Lushnja bringing flood misery to many villages in the nearby area. Several buildings were reported being underwater and authorities were also forced to intervene for the evacuation of several families who were under the immediate threat of rising water levels.
The heavy rainfall was responsible for a series of landslides throughout Albanian territory and at least the collapse of one bridge with several villages across Albania being cut off as a result.
Landslides also caused the closure for several hours of the national road Elbasan-Librazhd in the early hours of Thursday, while traffic resumed a few hours later. Similar problems were also registered in the road that connects Tirana with the city of Elbasan.
Albania has repeatedly faced serious flooding, a trend that was seen last in the southern parts of the country in early 2015, causing significant damages and badly affecting the agricultural sector.
