Crops destroyed, houses under water after powerful rain
published in issue 3225 page 3 at 2004-07-29
Hundreds of homes have been flooded in the Jiu Valley, dozens of families have been evicted, the power supply fell, the railroad traffic from Baru to Petrosani was temporarily suspended and the road traffic is only on one lane on a segment of National Road 66, because of the showers in the area.
In the county of Hunedoara, on DN 66 Petrosani-Targu Jiu, from kilometre 124 to 125, cars drive on just one lane, the road being affected by erosion and partial damage at the reinforced walls.
In Lupeni city 74 households, the ground floors of three apartment buildings, the ground floor of School no. 1 and the Paroseni thermal power plant premises are under water. In Vulcan city 61 homes, 50 annexes and the hydro-insulation of 400 flats from the last story have been affected. On Tuesday night, 60 people from Colonie were evicted from their homes because of the floods and spent the night in a school hostle. The Crivadia spring flooded the EM Vulcan compressors stations, the miners being evicted. Following heavy rain, the traffic on DN 66 was made difficult by the obturation of the space under the bridge that crosses the road at km 16 - 900. Electrica Deva reported ten transformation posts in the Petrosani-Livezeni area, six aerial power lines, five poles and power station basements were also damaged by the flood.
29 localities left in the dark after storms
The powerful winds, showers and thunderstorms that swept the country on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday left 29 localities without electricity, most of them in Arges County. A press release issued by power utility Electrica showed that the storms damaged 216 transforming posts, destroyed tens of aerial medium-voltage power lines and partially damaged another eight lines. The storm produced blackouts in 18 localities in Arges County, 5 in Giurgiu County, 4, Olt, and 2 in Suceava County. Repairs were underway yesterday, even in the areas where rain came to a stop.
In the Bistrita Nasaud County too, three localities remained without electricity for 12 hours due to strong storms, after three trees uprooted by gusty wind felled over the networks. By yesterday morning, electricity had been restored in all the three localities concerned. The rainfalls exceeded 50 l. per sq.m. in the last 24 hours in Alba County, the biggest quantities being recorded at Cugir.
Important rainfalls were also recorded at Alba Iulia and Sebes, where the values got close to 50 l./sq.m. In certain areas, the rain showers were accompanied by electric discharges and a strong wind in excess of 10 m. per second.
Powerful storm also at Braila, Bacau and Valcea Counties
A powerful storm affected yesterday at noon the city of Braila, where several streets were blocked by water. A torrential rain began to pour by 13.00 h, the sewage being unable to cope with the quantity of water, therefore several streets of the city were blocked by water and traffic became impossible in certain segments, where the water level exceeded 70 cm. The basements of several houses and blocks of flats were flooded and, a thing never seen before by the locals, the rats got out to surface and the people had to run after them and chase them away. In several areas, the quantity of water exceeded 25 l. per sq.m.
Heavy rainfalls in Bacau on Wednesday blocked road and railway traffic in several areas in the county and left dozens of localities without electricity. At noon Wednesday railway traffic from Ghines to Asau was discontinued after floods blocked the railway with gravel and mud. After 2:00 PM, the train leaving from Suceava Nord for Brasov was redirected, and another two trains were blocked in Valea Uzului. Railway traffic from Miercurea Ciuc is also discontinued.
Several communes from Valcea County were affected by the torrential rains of the last days, the villagers remaining without stables, bridges or defence embankments in the vicinity of certain rivers, the officials of the Ministry of Environment and Water Management focusing on the Ocnele Mari area. According to a communique of the relevant ministry, Valcea County was wrapped up in a wave of violent rains, the precipitations reaching impressive quantities in certain places.
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