Floods hits several parts of Serbia, emergency situations declared

The Republic Hydrometeorology Authority has predicted higher water levels in all rivers in the country following significant amounts of rain, Srbijavode said in a press release.  

The local authorities in the town of Kraljevo declared a state of emergency following flooding from streams and sewage canal overflow. The local administrations in Knica and Sremska Mitrovica followed suit.  

National Emergency Situations Sector chief Predrag Maric said that several villages were flooded and added that 15 people stuck on the Kraljevo-Kragujevac road had been evacuated. He said there was heavy rain in the western towns of Lucani and Cacak and flooding in the town of Tutin where it rained for 15 hours.  

The local weather service recorded 85 litres of rain per square metre in a four-hour period. Maric said The Mayor of Sremska Mitrovic Vladimir Sanader told Radio Novi Sad that the town was in danger of flooding because of high water levels and underground streams. He said sewage canals couldn’t handle the amount of water that had to be pumped through them into the Sava river.

The Gruze and Cestinska rivers spilled over their banks in the Kragujevac area, forcing local authorities in the Knic municipality to evacuate some people and damaging roads and bridges in the Gruza municipality.

Flooding has also hit several villages in the Lucani area in western Serbia, forcing local authorities to evacuate at least 20 households. Flooding has also been reported in the Novi Pazar area