Bosnia, Croatia Fear Repeat of Devastating 2014 Floods

Local authorities declared a state of emergency on Monday night in several northern Bosnian towns due to heavy rainfall.

In the towns of Bihac, Banja Luka, Sanski Most and Celinac, swollen rivers caused the collapse of bridges and cut road links, blocking access to remote villages.

Prije 5 godina kada su biđenpopđave kod kafuća BUK sam u ponoć na ovoj tački zatekao vodu na cesti i ronioce s čamcima. Sada toga nema i stanje je za sada prilično bolje. Mozda je čak bio 14.maj.Voda je na donjoj terasi kafića koja je uz samu obalu. #Banjaluka #PoplaveRS pic.twitter.com/oR1DzsY5ZL

— Dragan Mocevic (@DraganMocevic) May 13, 2019

Flooding in Doboj. Photo courtesy of N1.

In Doboj, police ordered the evacuation of residents from the settlement of Matuzici whose homes were directly endangered by the rising water levels of the Usora river.

In Banja Luka, the administrative centre of Bosnia's Serb-dominated entity Republika Srpska, officials announced that schools and kindergartens will be closed until further notice due to the bad weather.

The Vrbas river in Banja Luka. Photo courtesy of N1.

Since Sunday afternoon, storms and powerful winds have also hit the Croatian capital Zagreb and the surrounding area. Numerous accidents with damage caused by strong winds were reported in Zagreb, such as trees falling on roads or on buildings. At least two people have been injured.

The village of Korana in the municipality of Rakovica has been under water since Monday, and firefighters have been deployed to help. Eight tourists, including two children, were saved from a flooded tourist settlement. Bridges have been severely damaged, affecting transport links.

The worst problems have been seen in...