Devastating Floods Impacting Thousands of People & Animals in Slovenia Needing Help
Rebecca West
Last Saturday, Slovenia's Prime Minister, Robert Golob, stated that the country's catastrophic flooding had become the "worst natural disaster to ever hit." Stemming from almost a month's worth of rainfall hammering down within the space of roughly 24 hours, all hell has broken loose for its inhabitants as they struggle to cope.
In case you missed it, with everything else going on in the world right now, early August saw severe weather with heavy rains impact the western, northern, eastern, and central parts of Slovenia. In the end, it would cause severe flooding and numerous landslides. As a result, many areas were left inaccessible, and the evacuation of thousands was required by air and watercraft.
Famous for its stunning landscapes, it's been estimated that approximately two-thirds of Slovenia's territory is currently grappling with the devastating aftermath of heavy hailstorms and torrential rains causing mudslides and flash floods. Newscasts report 181 municipalities have been affected out of a total of 212.
According to the latest reports, as many as 8,000 people have been evacuated since the start and six people lost their lives. Some of the worst affected areas include Upper Carniola, Central Slovenia, the Koroška region, and the Savinjska region. Reports point to multiple bridges and roads being submerged in these hard-hit areas.
Water supply systems in Koroška and Savinjska have understandably been compromised, and power has been disrupted, as well as communications. Some of these regions had already suffered from extreme weather events over the summer. To make matters worse, there are pre-existing socio-economic challenges many of them face on top of everything else.
The most severely affected areas have seen damage to infrastructure with more than 170 active landslides to add to the calamity. While the government is continuing to evaluate the scope of the destruction, help is needed — and not just for humans. There have been alarming reports of pets and livestock caught up in the chaos that also need our assistance.
Photo: ALJOŠA KRAVANJA
While impacted segments of the population are being provided food, water, and basic needs from Civil Protection and the Slovenian Red Cross via air transports and heavy vehicles operated by first responders or members of the Slovenian military, more needs to be done.
On August 11, the Ministry of Defense reported that by their first estimates, more than 400 buildings were utterly destroyed or declared uninhabitable. Many of these were reportedly multi-family housing units displacing large numbers of people.
Because of the seemingly nonstop threat of landslides, it is expected that more households will need long-term shelter and basic needs support during the upcoming months. These landslides and the growing mud problem have been responsible for several scary and potentially lethal events.
For instance, a two-month-old calf called Gomzi somehow managed to survive the rising waters but remained stuck in deep mud covered in rubble after the structure it was in collapsed. None of the other cows from the farm survived, so Gomzi's rescue was quickly shared by a country that very much needs a pick-me-up right now.
When the calf was first discovered, the story touched a lot of hearts, and a call to action went out. Even the Prime Minister and his partner, Tina Gaber, who's known as an animal rights supporter, got involved. In the end, the frightened and starving animal was rescued by eight soldiers.
After Gabrova (Gaber) posted the happy news on social media, it was flooded with thank yous from other animal lovers who'd been concerned and frankly upset for days over the young bovine's harrowing ordeal. And Gomzi wasn't the only one plucked from near death. Below you'll see video footage of two pigs being rescued by a police helicopter and another on the general state of affairs.
If you can help, we've already supplied a direct link to the Slovenia Red Cross above, but you can try this Green Peace link as well for contributions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zz8zNlZxYt0&t=58s
https://youtu.be/DLo2q_uBYqU
