site.btaFlood Claims Four Lives in Romania

The flood in eastern Romania took four victims, BTA learned from a press release of the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations. Initially, local and world agencies reported five dead. The inspectorate specified that the fifth victim was a person who died on Thursday and not as a result of the bad weather.

Cyclone Boris, which hit Europe, has drastically changed the weather in Romania. Heavy rains and strong winds caused damage in 19 settlements. Dozens of trees were uprooted, damaging cars and blocking roads. Authorities sent text messages to residents warning of dangerous weather.

More than 250 people have been evacuated so far from the worst-hit counties, Galati and Vaslui. More than 5,000 households have been affected. In some places the water reaches 1.70 m. Some people have been forced to climb onto the roofs of their houses until rescue teams arrive to free them from the water trap, Romanian media report.

More than 700 employees of Romania's Interior Ministry: firefighters, police, and gendarmes are on the ground to help with 217 means of intervention. Nearly 700 calls have been received on the emergency number 112 from residents of Galati and Vaslui who have been affected by floods or who have had medical problems. A Black Hawk helicopter has been dispatched to Galati to assist in search and rescue operations. More than 120 military personnel from the country's Ministry of National Defence have already joined in with assistance. 

Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and Interior Minister Catalin Predoiu are expected to arrive at the scene.

Earlier on Saturday, President Klaus Iohannis offered condolences to the families of the victims and said that "we must continue to strengthen our capacity to meet extreme weather events" in view of climate change.

Evacuation centres will be set up in Galati, Vaslui and Iasi counties. Each will have a capacity of approximately 200 people. Separately, more than 800 accommodation places will be identified and made available in Galati county through the local authorities.

Against this backdrop, local meteorologists report that such record rainfall has not occurred since 2013, and the amounts that have fallen are equivalent to three months' worth. The National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management has issued a yellow code for flooding and danger of overflowing rivers in Dobrudja.