Severe Weather Triggers State of Emergency as Rescue Efforts Continue.Â
Which Towns and Villages Have Been Cut Off, and How Badly Are Homes Submerged?
Heavy rain that caused flash floods and landslides hit central Bosnia-Herzegovina and killed at least 18 people. Many towns and villages are inaccessible, and some residents in the region claim that almost all their property is underwater due to the surging water levels. The most significant loss was incurred around Jablanica, 40 miles northeast of Sarajevo’s capital and directly along the Mostar to Sarajevo Highway.
Some people are still unaccounted for, while some states of emergency have been declared in the most affected regions. Emergency crews remain in the field looking for over a dozen people reported as missing in the storm.
What Has the Development Minister Said About the Disaster?
Minister of Development Vojin Mijatovic said the situation is catastrophic but called on people to stay calm.” For years our country has experienced a severe tragedy,” said Mijatovic in his official statement. >The extent of the damage, alas, is off the scale, but we need to admit that, first and foremost, we will be protecting our people.
The communities have been searching the wreckage for survivors, with crews from Serbia, Croatia, and North Macedonia arriving to assist the local authorities. Further help is coming from several EU countries.
How Have Landslides Buried Homes, and What Are Families Experiencing?
Two more bodies were found Sunday in the village of Donja Jablanica, where rains set off a fatal landslide. Luckway, a quarry above the town, could give way and cause rocks mixed with mud to roll on the town, killing many of the inhabitants while some of the water levels reached roof level.
People were talking about dramatic events and destruction. Speaking to local media, one homeowner recalled how the water rushed into his house at 3:30 AM. He said the family barely rescued their son and fled to a neighbor’s house, gradually sinking under the immense water pressure.
Pictures showed people scooping mud from flooded houses and struggling to pull survivors under the rubble.
Why Was the Initial Death Toll Revised?
Authorities of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton admitted that the death toll in that region was 13 before this was downsized from the reported 16. Three more are reported to have died in the Fojnica town, adding to the already enormous death toll recorded in this tragedy.
How Has the Infrastructure Been Damaged?
A disaster arose from heavy rain and storms at night; rivers began to flood and damage buildings. The aerial photos revealed that roads, bridges, and railway lines were either cut by flood waters or covered up with the wreckage that swept several towns and villages. Due to landslides, Some houses were covered by rock and earth from the top to the middle of their second stories.
The main M-17 route, which passes along the bank of River Neretva, was obstructed by debris near Jablanica. Seventeen km of rail line was disrupted between Ostrozac and Grabovica to the west, where one 200m length of track remained hanging in mid-air after a landslide took the soil beneath it with it.
Local officials in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton warned motorists to refrain from using the steep streets around Jablanica, complaining of dangerous roads in the region.
Which Other Countries Are Affected by the Flooding?
Floods have not been limited to Bosnia only. The flooding has affected many other areas, including Bosnia. In nearby Montenegro areas, roads have been eroded, resulting in the total isolation of the village of Komarnica.
For instance, in Croatia, the water levels of the Kupa River and other rivers have increased significantly. The government based in Zagreb said that some areas of Karlovac may be flooded soon.
How Has Climate Change Contributed to This Extreme Weather?
Most of Central Europe flooded during the last few weeks, and Poland, the Czech Republic, and Romania were most affected. Scientists from the World Weather Attribution (WWA) revealed that the four-day period they assessed was the wettest in the region. According to the WWA, climate change caused extreme weather as the two have increased the occurrence and frequency of severe events.
“Climate change is playing a significant role in exacerbating these floods,” said a WWA spokesman. Europe is the hottest continent on the planet and has been getting warmer year by year, and the last five years, on average, were 2.3°C warmer than the second half of the nineteenth century.
How Widespread Is the Devastation Across Europe?
In the worst-hit areas, floods have resulted from increased European natural catastrophes caused by higher temperatures, unstable precipitations, and other extreme weather conditions. The European climate service of Copernicus has also observed that Europe has become the hottest continent, moving millions of its population into the dangerous territory of experiencing more intense climate change-related events in the future.
While aid workers are carrying out operations in the devastated Bosnian region and other countries are preparing themselves for more floods, it is still impossible to estimate the number of people killed and affected. But as it seems now, with more and more cities devastated, towns isolated, and families grieving, rebuilding is likely to be a slow and painful process.
