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Floods and landslides in Bulgaria, what is the situation

What are the consequences of torrential rains in the country: Rainfall in the country is declining, but its effects continue to cause landslides, floods and roadblocks. Thousands of CEZ customers from Western Bulgaria continue to be without electricity due to accidents caused by snow and heavy rains in the region, BNR reported. Most settlements without electricity supply are in the Montana region, in the municipalities of Georgi Damyanovo, Berkovitsa, Chiprovtsi and Varshets. In the Sofia region, the CEZ teams had the most problems with the elimination of accidents in Svoge and Slivnitsa. About a thousand customers in Bregovo, Vidin region are also without electricity. All teams of the electricity distribution company are working so that the electricity supply can be restored faster.
The situation in Burgas is difficult Several roads were closed and people were evacuated. 
Currently, four road sections are closed due to heavy rain. The worst situation is on the road between Burgas and Sozopol. A dam and the rivers Marinka, Otmanliyska and Izvorska overflowed. This led to the evacuation of people from the holiday village of Chernitsite, and many cars were stuck around these rivers. A partial state of emergency has been declared on the territory of the village of Ravadinovo near Sozopol, informs BNT. Early this morning, sensors mounted on the Marinka River signaled danger. The water level in the riverbed rose due to heavy rainfall and the river began to flood the yards in the holiday village of Chernitsite near Burgas. 
"The level has been raised. It is in the red zone. At the moment, the good thing is that there is no risk for the residents, because those 20 people who live in the flooded area have been evacuated. We warned them at 5:30 am and started waking them up to leave their homes, "said the mayor of Burgas Dimitar Nikolov. A total of 22 people living in the lower part of the villa area were evacuated. Others stayed at their properties. 
Many roads in Burgas were flooded, which led to accidents. After the closure of a total of four road sections, many people waited for hours. Bad weather also caused problems with the power supply. Chernomorets was left without electricity for almost an hour. The accidents are currently fixed.
The road situation is difficult even on the busiest Stara Planina passes

Hainboaz has been closed to heavy vehicles for more than four hours. Several times and for all cars. Kilometers of queues formed.

The blockade of fallen trees on the Petrohan Pass continues to be cleared.
The situation on the other Stara Planina pass, Shipka, was also dynamic. It remained open, but heavy snowfall on the north side and heavy rain on the south side made it difficult for cars to move. The snow cover reached 50 cm in places. Road services will be on duty at night to sand as temperatures begin to drop and the road surface is already icy in places. What is the situation in Sofia inform from NOVA: More than 50 houses in the Sofia village of Petarch and about 10 in Kostinbrod are under water. Firefighters, volunteers and municipal officials are helping those affected by the disaster. The wall of Maslovo Dam was about to collapse. During the night it was fortified, and today the dam overflows, but only from its overflow. However, the stone-fortified bank of the Blato River did not last. The raging water destroyed it and threatened the Sunday School building under construction. The situation in Novi Iskar remains critical and settlements in the area. Civil protection teams drain houses and yards. The worst situation is in Mirovyane, where more than 30 houses were damaged, dozens of basements, yards and ground floors were flooded. A 74-year-old woman was also evacuated from her home. After yesterday the dam of the river Blato was pushed at the gas station of Novi Iskar, today it had to be restored due to the danger of stopping the gas in a large part of Sofia. The drainage of the Suhodol dam also started as a precaution. And people are adamant that it is not the rain that is causing the sharp rise in the river level, but the release of the dams. The nearby dams are in Kostinbrod and Opitsvet. The situation in the municipality of Svoge is also difficult due to landslides and lack of electricity, informs BNT. The elevated level of the Iskar River has threatened the road to Sofia to the village of Gara Bov, where there is a danger of collapse due to landslides. The Road Agency announced that the most serious flooding of roads is in the districts of Blagoevgrad and Burgas. The second-class road to Sofia near Bov station remains under surveillance due to the danger of collapse. As early as yesterday, the waters of the Iskar River have begun to undermine part of the road. The movement will be two-way in one lane until the section is strengthened. Almost all 38 settlements in Svoge municipality are affected by the rains. In some places, roads are blocked by fallen trees. Nearly 10 villages were left without electricity. Among them are Iskrets, Vlado Trichkov and Bov. Yards and basements in Iskrets and Svidnya are flooded. The stadium in Svoge is also under water.
The situation in Blagoevgrad region:

Sleepless hours and south. The incoming waters of the Struma threatened the gas pipeline to Greece. Important roads in the Blagoevgrad region were closed due to landslides and collapses. Dozens of small collapses intensified in the Kresna Gorge during the night and for hours the traffic had to be stopped for short periods in order to clear the roadway. However, the incoming waters of the Struma continued to cause damage downstream. 
After drastically raising its level, the Struma River damaged the dam near Strumyani and threatened the gas pipeline passing from there. With heavy equipment and ground mass, the teams of Irrigation Systems tried to protect both the pipe and the Struma highway passing 200 meters from the river. Hours later, the emergency situation shifted to the road between Bansko and Gotse Delchev. 
There, a landslide completely blocked traffic at the turnoff for the village of Borovo. Excavators tried to clean the track, but for hours the muddy mass made its way and formed a huge deposit on the asphalt. To the south, the Mesta River demolished the bridge between Hadjidimovo and the village of Blatska. Dozens of other bridges were swept away by the rivers in the area. Near Blagoevgrad, they had to take urgent action to help people from two houses flooded by the Struma River. The dams in the area did not create a problem and the water in them remained below the critical levels throughout the day. 

Duty teams and officials monitor the dangerous areas in the municipality of Bansko,

reported from there. At this stage the situation in the municipality is calm. As a result of the torrential rains, there are flooded fields and meadows, but these are the only damages from the heavy rains that have fallen in the last few days, according to the municipal press center, quoted by BTA. The Deputy Mayor of the municipality Stoycho Banenski, together with the mayors and deputy mayors of the villages in the area of ​​the Mesta River in the municipality, have joined the on-duty teams for monitoring and work in the risk areas, the municipality of Bansko announced. They add that the amount of water in the Mesta River is huge, and almost all along its course through the territory of the municipality the water is outside the riverbed. Many agricultural lands near the river are flooded, and the biggest spill is in the area near the village of Mesta. 
The press center of the municipality points out that a landslide has been activated in the area of ​​the village of Osenovo. Earth masses and trees have blocked traffic on the way to the settlement for a short time. The road is cleared. Already over the weekend, based on meteorological forecasts, the mayor of Bansko Ivan Kadev has ordered the monitoring of places where problems may occur and the equipment is ready, added the municipality. 

The situation after the torrential rains in Smolyan district normalized at the end of the day, according to the regional press service. Rainfall throughout the area has stopped. The partial state of emergency in the municipalities of Madan and Dospat remains in force, informs BTA. In Madan, the clearing of the flooded streets "Tourist" and "Rhodopes" continues. The road between two villages is closed due to a failed section of the lane. Kapitan Petko Street in Rudozem is flooded and a river in the village of Zmeitsa has overflowed. Fire crews are draining houses in the village of Barutin, Dospat municipality. 
In the municipality of Smolyan there are activated landslides, fallen stones and trees on inter-village roads. Teams have been sent to clear them, the district administration said. Zlatograd Dam overflows. We remind you that 11 people were injured in a landslide on a house in Smolyan. Seven of the victims are children. One of them - eight-year-old Alexander, has the most serious injuries and is hospitalized in Smolyan. The others have been examined and discharged, BNT reported. Residents of a house in Smolyan that collapsed during the night will be accommodated in municipal housing, the municipal press center announced. During a rescue operation, 12 people were taken out of the ruins of the house, and two were placed in the regional hospital, informs BTA. The building in the Roma neighborhood of Smolyan collapsed after heavy rains in the area. Activated landslides, fallen retaining walls, river overflows and sediments on the road infrastructure are some of the consequences of the rains. The level of the Arda River has risen by about 2 meters, and of the Cherna River within the district town - by about 1-1.30 m, according to the district administration.

Rainfall in Haskovo district is decreasing and the situation in the region is normalizing, announced by the district administration in summary of the situation with precipitation from the last day. In the municipality of Ivaylovgrad, after the Byala River flooded a section of the road in the area of ​​the village of Gugutka earlier today, the section of the drain has already been secured and the traffic to the village of Meden Buk is passable for cars. The municipality has assured that there are no people in need in the area and no settlements without electricity and water. The river Harmanliyska / Olu dere / near the village of Dinevo, Haskovo municipality is observed. Its level is slightly below the overflow elevation. All dikes are strong. There is only one spill in the lower part of the riverbed in the village, which partially affected areas in the farmyard, the administration added. There were no flooded residential buildings or farm buildings, as well as violations in the electricity and water supply. 
From "Fire safety and protection of the population" today responded to 12 signals for drainage. The District Road Administration reported that at 5.30 pm there are no closed roads in the district. Haskovo Water and Sewerage has stated that the water supply from the pumping station to Topolovgrad, the village of Kapitan Petko and the village of Oreshnik remains suspended. 
According to the operatives on duty, quoted by the state administration, the Studen Kladenets dam is expected to reach the level of overflow tonight and therefore a controlled discharge of water from the dam will begin. According to the data, the other dam from the cascade "Arda" - "Ivaylovgrad", has another 22 hours until it reaches the level of overflow. 
Fallen rock mass on the road Krumovgrad - Momchilgrad is the reason for the introduction of a temporary organization of traffic. This was pointed out by the Regional Press Center of the Ministry of Interior in Kardzhali. They added that police patrols of the departments in Momchilgrad and Krumovgrad temporarily divert vehicles passing in both directions in the area of ​​the village of Karamfil through the Zvezdel mine. 
The signal for the emergency road situation was submitted today, shortly after 17.00. Work has already begun on clearing the roadway, after which traffic on the usual route will be restored. Police are urging drivers to drive with vigilance due to the complicated road and meteorological situation in the area. 
The Chaya River came out of its bed and flooded the road to Krumovo under the Yagodovo-Katunitsa railway overpass, announced by the press center of the District Administration. The traffic is stopped. Measures are being taken and teams from the RD "Fire Safety and Protection of the Population" and the police are on the scene. 
The level of the Maritsa River has risen, but is far below the critical point. Currently, only in two settlements - the village of Krushevo - Parvomay municipality and the village of Bolyarino - Rakovski municipality, the drainage canals have reached their maximum and their level is monitored hourly. The situation with the large dams on the territory of the district is under control. The peak of the maximum inflow of water to the dams from the cascade Dospat - Vacha was reached at noon and the reduction of the water entering the Tsankov Kamak dam is expected in the next hours. There are currently another 15.6 million in Vacha Dam. cubic meters of free volume, which is sufficient to absorb the incoming water in the future. The small dams managed by the municipalities in the district have a sufficient free volume, as only those in the municipality of Karlovo are 65 percent filled. The dams of Irrigation Systems Pyasachnik, Domlyan, Bryagovo, Lenovo, the 40 springs, Sushitsa have large free volumes and there is no risk of overflow.

The situation in the village of Priboy in Radomir has been brought under control, 21 people have been evacuated The flood, which occurred as a result of the broken dike near the Radomir village of Priboy, has been controlled, announced the mayor of the municipality Plamen Alexiev. 7 houses in the settlement were affected by the flood. Their 21 inhabitants are provided with accommodation. People are currently being evacuated from the flooded houses, and the victims have been provided with basic foodstuffs. Radomir Municipality is ready to accommodate other people affected by the flood. During the flood in Priboy, agricultural lands were also flooded. An artificial breach on the dam of the Struma River near the village of Potsernentsi, carried out by Irrigation Systems, has led to a calm drainage of the river. From last night until today, three dikes on the Struma River have been fortified, two of which are on the bridge near the village of Priboy, and the third - in the village itself. The activities for drainage of the houses and yards flooded by the rivers continue. Fire crews are also working on site.


Fallen rocks and earth were the reason for the temporary suspension of traffic on the third-class road Krichim – Devin. The signal was received shortly before 5 pm by drivers of passing cars, the press center of the OD of the Ministry of Interior in Plovdiv announced. The reason for the fallen earth and rock mass in the section of the 85th kilometer is the intense rainfall this afternoon.

The movement of cars on the road Krichim-Devin is already possible, the press center of the OD of the Ministry of Interior-Plovdiv announced.

The movement of trains in the interstation Yakoruda-Avramovo has been restored,

announced the state-owned enterprise National Railway Infrastructure Company (NRIC).

NRIC teams continue clearing the rock mass in the Lyulyakovo-Daskotna section. The traffic in the direction Karnobat-Varna is expected to be restored within an hour.

This morning the company announced that due to a fallen rock mass the movement of trains in two sections of the railway infrastructure has been suspended: Yakoruda-Avramovo(in the direction Septemvri-Dobrinishte) and Divided post Lyulyakovo-Daskotna (in the direction Karnobat-Varna). Passengers from the affected trains are transported by buses. River levels in the East Aegean and Black Sea basins are expected to rise significantly The river levels in the Danube and West Aegean basins are expected to decrease, and the river levels in the East Aegean and Black Sea basins to increase significantly. This is indicated by the hydrometeorological forecast, disseminated by the Ministry of Environment and Water / MOEW /.
The water quantities of the rivers in most of the Danube basin are around the high water thresholds. As of today, water levels will start to decrease, and as a result of runoff, there will be increases in the lower reaches of the main rivers Iskar, Vit, Osam and Yantra. Over the next three days, river levels in the basin will decrease or remain unchanged. The water quantities of the rivers in the Black Sea basin are above the thresholds for medium waters. As a result of precipitation today, the levels of the observed rivers in the basin will increase significantly. The increases in the catchments of the rivers Provadiyska, Kamchia, the North Burgas rivers and in the catchments of the rivers south of Bourgas to Rezovo are expected to be significant. Over the next three days, river levels in the basin will decrease, and as a result of runoff, there will be increases in the lower reaches of the main rivers. In the East Aegean basin during the past day the levels of the observed rivers have increased, as a result of precipitation combined with snowmelt. Water quantities are above the thresholds for medium waters. From tomorrow, the river levels in the basin will start to decrease, and due to runoff in the middle and lower reaches of the main rivers there will be significant increases. Maritsa's water level at Parvomay will exceed the yellow warning threshold tonight. 

The level of Maritsa near Harmanli and Svilengrad will exceed the yellow warning threshold on the night of January 13-14. The water level of the Mochuritsa River near the village of Charda will reach the orange warning threshold in the evening today. Also tonight the yellow threshold will be crossed from Tundzha near Yambol and Elhovo.


In the West Aegean Basin, river water levels are around high water thresholds. From today and for the next three days the river levels in the basin will start to decrease, and as a result of runoff there will be significant increases in the middle and lower reaches of the main rivers.

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