Romania endures extensive flooding in numerous locations, including Bucharest and over 60 other cities, due to heavy rainfall.
Heavy rainfall across Romania over the past week has resulted in severe flooding, infrastructure damage, and evacuation orders affecting over 60 localities in 16 counties, including Bucharest. Among the impacted regions, authorities have reported significant incidents in Argeș, Bacău, Botoşani, Braşov, Buzău, Cluj, Covasna, Harghita, Ialomiţa, Iaşi, Ilfov, Mureş, Neamţ, Suceava, Vaslui, and Vrancea.
Rescue teams have been actively involved in evacuating residents from affected areas. In total, over 309 people from localities within Botoşani, Braşov, Covasna, and Vrancea counties have been evacuated preventively as a precautionary measure. Flooding also forced the evacuation of approximately 100 people from Băcel, Covasna County, who were relocated to a sports hall in Dobârlău. In Dumbrăviţa, Braşov County, 18 minors were evacuated from a flooded home, while three people were evacuated preventively in Şupitca, Botoşani County, due to the risk of isolation.
Furthermore, in Bacău County, 1,778 people were left isolated following the washing away of a temporary bridge over the Trotuş River. The heavy rains have also disrupted road traffic, with roadblocks on three national roads and two county roads due to accumulated water, debris, and fallen trees. In addition, a floating bridge has been washed away in Manasia, Ialomiţa County, cutting off access to agricultural areas.
Emergency teams have worked diligently to clean fallen trees and an electricity pole, and repairs have been conducted to clear obstacles, though 12 vehicles have suffered damages during the incidents. Notably, floods have affected homes, crops, and a factory in Borșneu village (Covasna), with a historic salt mine in Praid threatened by rising waters from the Corund stream, which reached its highest flow in 30 years.
Thankfully, no power supply disruptions or unattended medical emergencies have been reported as a result of the weather events. Authorities have issued yellow flood alerts in 27 counties, while red flood warnings have been issued in the worst-hit areas due to stresses on aging dams and swollen rivers.
After an emergency meeting, Environment Minister Mircea Fechet stated that the soil is already saturated and more significant rainfall is forecasted, potentially making May 2025 one of the rainiest Mays in Romanian history. Continued heavy rainfall is expected over central and southern Romania in the next 48 hours, which could heighten the risk of flooding and related incidents.
In summary, floods caused by the heavy rains have caused significant disruption, with evacuations, infrastructure damage, and preventive evacuations primarily occurring in central and northeastern Romanian counties. Emergency services are actively responding while continued rainfall remains a concern.
- The heavy rains in Romania, leading to flooding, have significantly impacted the environmental science sector, with the weather events causing damage to a factory and a historic salt mine, as well as affecting homes and crops.
- Amid the ongoing flood situation, particularly in the central and northeastern regions of Romania, climate-change scientists are closely monitoring the forecasted continued heavy rainfall, which could make May 2025 one of the rainiest Mays in Romanian history, potentially exacerbating the flood situations and related incidents.
