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Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Floods - Emergency Plan of Action (EPoA) n° MDRBG002 DREF operation

Attachments

A. Situation analysis

Description of the disaster

After an exceptionally dry winter, the weather in Bulgaria started becoming very wet, going to the other extreme. Since the beginning of the summer, heavy rains and hail storms have been a constant problem for the local population.

In the late hours of 31 July, storms and heavy rainfalls in North-West Bulgaria caused devastating floods in the regions of Sofia, Plovdiv, Montana and Vratsa.

In the region of Vratsa, extensive torrential rains resulted in two waves of flooding on 1 and 2 August 2014. After the river Skat ruptured its banks, two consecutive waves invaded the town of Mizia, Vratsa Region. The number of people directly affected was 7,247 (2,416 households1 ) in the region of Vratsa.

Based on the ongoing assessment conducted by the responsible authorities, more than 80 houses have been totally destroyed, not suitable for living any longer, and 350 have been badly damaged. The direct results of the flood are represented by two fatalities and 800 people evacuated in Mizia, from which approximately 200 were accommodated in an evacuation centre managed by the Municipality of Mizia. Furthermore, 100 per cent of the crops in the region has been destroyed and 80 per cent of the livestock is dead. Mizia, Borovan, Byala Slatina and Vratsa are among the most devastated towns and villages. The water level in the town of Mizia and in most of the affected villages reached 2.5 to 5 meters during the most critical moments.

Although most of the water covering Mizia has been drained, the situation is still critical. Tap water is contaminated and unfit for drinking or even washing. Electricity is still cut in some parts of Mizia (the town most affected by the floods). Rotting carcasses of dead animals are increasing the risk of diseases, and crippled buildings are also a threat to the population.