2012 Romanian floods

The 2012 Romanian floods were the result of an extreme weather event that struck Romania in late May 2012. Authorities reported four deaths throughout Romania. The south-east of the country, especially Vrancea County was most affected. Also affected were the provinces of Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad and Sofia in neighbouring Bulgaria.

Seven houses were flooded in Lacu Roșu neighborhood (Brăila). According to data given by Brăila County Department of Agriculture, between May 20 to 29, due to torrential rainfall were affected cultures of sunflower, corn, wheat, barley, soy and vegetables on an area of about 817.8 ha.^[1] Likewise, several households were flooded in the commune of Mircea Vodă. Throughout the town of Ianca, consumers remained without electricity for two hours.^[2]

In Caraș-Severin County, 250 households were flooded. According to the authorities, 80 households in Șușca, 80 in Radimna, 89 in Prilipeț and one in Lăpușnicu Mare were affected by floods formed on slopes because of heavy rainfall. The water destroyed an electric pillar, for which Șușca inhabitants were left without electricity for three hours. The operative intervention of military firefighters of 'Semenic' Inspectorate for Emergency Situations had saved 20 people, including four children.^[3]

In Ilfov and Dâmbovița counties, respectively in Bucharest, occurred cloudburst, that caused spontaneous floods. The sewers didn't cope to large quantities of water, thus several streets were flooded. In many areas, hail made havoc. Several households were flooded in the commune of Pantelimon. In Dâmbovița County, more cars were damaged, after board on the roof of a block was torn by the wind.^[4] Withal, in the commune of Răzvad (Dâmbovița County), heavy rains transformed ditches and streets in real rivers. Water entered the cellars of houses, household annexes, courtyards and gardens, and locals' cultures were compromised.^[5]

In Mehedinți County, county road DJ607C and local road DC4 were affected, due to the formation of transversal and longitudinal ravines. Also, national road DN57 was affected, due to slope glide, leading to the collapse of masonry parapet. Over 240 consumers were left without electricity in four localities (Strehaia, Băsești, Budănești and Cracu Lung). The balance sheet of authorities shows that due to Coşuştea River overflow were flooded 100 hectares of tillage, 120 hectares of pastures in village of Corcova and three hectares of agricultural land in village of Broșteni, due to Motru River overflow.^[6]

In Neamț County, 50 households and 19 household annexes were flooded due to heavy rains in early-June. Also, strong winds, hailstorms and thunderstorms produced significant damage through Neamț County.^[7]

In Prahova County, several households and institutions were flooded. In town of Băicoi, severe weather left 18 consumers without electricity. Landslides and rockfalls also affected county road 101T and local road DC47.^[8] A girl of six years old was taken by stream formed by precipitation fallen in last days.^[9]

In Vaslui County, 40 localities remained without electricity, 25 households were destroyed by water and river deposits, 15 people were evacuated from their homes. In the commune of Solești, flash floods made damages of over 700,000 RON following the destruction of roads, heavy rains flooded 25 households, and 15 people were evacuated from their homes and sheltered in Solești Cultural House. Heavy rains affected in the gross over 40 villages in Vaslui County, and in two communes, Vutcani and Alexandru Vlahuță, extreme weather left people without electricity. Problems, especially with affected bridges and footbridges, were registered in other communes, such as Vutcani, Bălteni, Lipovăț, Viișoara, Voinești, Laza and Bogdănești.^[10]

At least 10 households in town of Mărășești and commune of Pufești (Vrancea County) were flooded due to heavy rains in last days. On European route E85, road traffic was hampered in two points, because whirling waters that rushed over road.^[11] Over 6,140 villagers in the communes of Nereju and Spulber were isolated when county road DN2M collapsed on a stretch of about 30 m. Authorities said that it has exceeded the rate of flooding on the Zăbala River.^[12][13] In the mountains of Vrancea County were registered record levels of rainfall, of 87.5 l/m².^[14]

In Bulgaria, more areas of Sofia have been flooded following heavy rains in last days. Torrential rainfall in Sofia blocked traffic in several areas of the city. The southern bypass road of the city was flooded. Besides Sofia, several towns in western Bulgaria suffered from the storm. In town of Kyustendil, storm unprooted eleven trees. The localities of Blagoevgrad, Sandanski, Petrich and Kresna were also affected.^[15]

Casualties

Provisional data given by Ministry of Administration and Interior shows that, after heavy rainfall, were affected 89 localities in 16 counties (Bacău, Brăila, Buzău, Călăraşi, Caraş-Severin, Constanţa, Galaţi, Hunedoara, Ialomiţa, Ilfov, Mehedinţi, Neamţ, Prahova, Tulcea, Vaslui and Vrancea). Military firefighters saved 37 people (24 in Bacău County and 13 in Caraș-Severin County), and other 21 were evacuated to relatives, friends or in schools or cultural houses (15 in Vaslui County, 4 in Bacău County and 2 in Tulcea County).^[16]

In the gross, 209 localities were flooded, other 24 being isolated, and 18 household annexes are destroyed or in danger of collapse. Likewise, were affected over 62 km of national, county and local roads and sections of railways, four bridges and 37 footbridges. Were flooded 390 hectares of arable land, 24 hectares of pastures, and 255 fountains were clogged. Authorities reported five deaths, most of them caused by drowning.

References