Flood chaos in Slovenia

Border crossings closed, people on rooftops

The flooded village of Ravne na Koroskem, around 60 kilometers northeast of Ljubljana

(Bild: Associated Press)

It was not only in Carinthia and Styria that thunderstorms and heavy rain caused flooding and mudslides during the night: since Friday, the north and north-west of Slovenia has also been hit by severe flooding and mudslides. In the Carinthian district of Völkermarkt, all border crossings to the neighboring country are currently closed to all traffic.

The highest alert level has been declared in the north of Slovenia. People are advised not to leave their homes and to flee to the upper floors. Numerous villages were cut off by the floods and many houses were threatened by mudslides.

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Train services partially interrupted
According to ÖBB, trains to and from Slovenia can currently only run to and from Jesenice. The reason for this is storm damage, tweeted the Federal Railways (see below). A rail replacement service for long-distance trains between Jesenice and Ljubljana has been set up and there are isolated train cancellations.

According to the Slovenian environmental agency ARSO, more than 100 millimeters of rain fell within 24 hours, which corresponds to the average amount of rainfall for a month. The civil authorities registered more than 1,000 call-outs within twelve hours.

Kindergarten evacuated by fire department
The municipality of Mengeš, just 20 kilometers from the Austrian border, was particularly affected by the flooding. The kindergarten there was surprised by the waist-high floods. The fire department was called out to evacuate the 22 children from the building.

Flooding also in Carinthia
Several thunderstorm fronts and heavy rain also caused flooding, road closures and mudslides in the Carinthian districts of Wolfsberg, Völkermarkt and Klagenfurt-Land. More than 160 fire department operations have been recorded since Thursday evening.

300 fire department operations in Styria
The emergency services also had a lot to do in neighboring Styria. The hours of heavy rain kept the fire departments busy, especially in the south. Hundreds of operations were recorded - mainly due to flooded cellars and flooded roads.

(Bild: FF Eberndorf)

Red alert in Slovenia
In Slovenia, the highest alert level was declared in the north because the rainfall is expected to continue until Saturday. There are currently no reports of casualties. A state of emergency has been declared in the municipalities of Komenda and Kamnik north of the capital Ljubljana. Entire villages were under water on Friday morning and the river Kamniska Bistrica destroyed a major bridge.

Military helicopters in action
There was also heavy flooding in the Gorenjska region, where landslides caused additional problems. Numerous villages were cut off and several houses were threatened by mudslides. The situation was worst around the small town of Skofja Loka, further west in the municipality of Ziri more than 100 buildings were flooded in the morning. Most of the roads were impassable. In Skofja Loka, people were flown out by military helicopter.

The situation was also bad in the north-east: the villages of Solcava and Luce in the upper Savinja valley were completely cut off. There are reports from Luce that people are seeking shelter on their roofs. People were asked to retreat to the top floors of their houses to wait for military helicopters. 

In the Koroska region in the north of the country, the alarm sirens sounded early in the morning. Several places were under water, including Crna na Koroskem, Prevalje and Ravne na Koroskem. Roads were largely impassable and bridges were damaged, which made firefighting operations much more difficult.

250 soldiers deployed
The Drava also flooded downstream around the city of Marburg. Another flood wave threatened the city of Celje. The local library called for help from residents to save the books from the impending flood. The highway between Ljubljana and Celje was closed in the morning due to flooded roads. The civil defense activated all available forces, including around 250 soldiers.