Slovenia - Clean-up after floods in Črna na Koroškem

 

In August 2023, major floods occurred in large part of Slovenia. Amongst others, the level of rivers Sava, Mura and Drava was exceptionally high. Several settlements and transport links in Slovene Littoral, Upper Carniola and Slovenian Carinthia were flooded. Due to the event, the National Flood Protection and Rescue Plan was activated. The first rivers flooded in Upper Carniola and Posočje. These floods began on 3rd August at around 20.00h.

According to data from the Administration for Protection and Rescue, 168 fire brigades took part in 1039 interventions withiin 12 hours. In so doing, they pumped water from flooded buildings, covered triggered avalanches, and removed debris and vehicles that had been swept away.

In Kamnik, Komenda, the municipalities of Maribor, Ptuj, Kranj, Celje and Ljubljana, and in the municipalities of Duplek, Starše and Slovenj Gradec, sirens sounded to warn against danger from flooding and landslides. Gradaščica and Sora were flooded, and a flood wave was also expected to occur in Savinja, Pšata and Kamniška Bistrica. In the settlement of Bistričica, an elderly person was allegedly carried away by torrential flooding, but the exact cause of death is not yet known.The General Police Directorate is said to have received several reports of fatalities.

 As a result of the floods, the Gorenjska highway and the Styrian highway were closed on two sections on 4th August, at 4:00 p.m.  Several roads, both regional and local, were also closed, mainly due to collapse of the carriageway, landslides, deposits of sand and mud or high water on the roadway.A bridge was washed away on Otliške Vrh and the Slovenian Army is studying the possibilities of erecting a pontoon bridge. Most of the roads in Zgornje Savinjsko were also closed.

The Ministry of Defense activated the Vihra plan, which includes the assistance of the Slovenian Army in the intervention. Helicopters were dispatched to several flooded areas. The army also dispatched armored vehicles. The European Union has expressed readiness for the possible activation of the mechanism for civil assistance.