Hungary: Severe Local Storm - Jun 2019

Devastating storm cells hit Eastern Hungary on 27 June afternoon, leaving 80 settlements affected by damages caused by strong wind and heavy rainfall. According to the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), 2,560 rooftops (160 public and 2,400 private properties) were damaged. Hungarian Red Cross immediately started the coordination of the assistance with relevant authorities. According to the ongoing assessment, the most affected settlements are Pusztadobos, Nyírkarász, and the town of Nyírmada, where 80 per cent of private homes suffered damages. Trees fell on electrical aerial cables and caused blackouts in 93 settlements leaving more than 50,000 households without electricity for two or more days. To date, electricity has been restored in all affected households. The NDMA indicates that more than 30 families (114 people) were evacuated due to life-threatening structural damages, all of whom have been sheltered in municipal homes or at relatives and have not been able to return to their homes. In total, 2,400 households suffered damages (approx. 7,200 people) with the scale of damage on a wide spectrum. (IFRC, 10 Jul 2019)