Several municipalities in south threatened by flood wave from Bulgaria and Kosovo, icy days ahead

Local crisis HQs met in Nis, Pirot, Dimitrovgrad and Vranje, where urgent measures to repair and prevent further damage have been adopted

Due to heavy rains in the south of Serbia in recent days, numerous households and farms have been flooded, while an emergency situation has been declared in Leskovac, Doljevac, Bojnik, Vlasotince, Vladicin Han, Gadzin Han and Nis.

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The floods also hit Kosovo and Metohija, and the Office of the Government of Serbia for Kosovo and Metohija has sent help to the families affected by that disaster. Water pumps have been sent to the most affected settlements, while some households have received machines for drying rooms, three large-capacity pumps are on the way to Priluzje, where the River Sitnica overflowed last night and reached residential buildings.

Food packages have been provided with the help of representatives of municipalities and temporary bodies in Serb communities, an announcement said.

The Republic Hydrometeorological Service (RHMZ) said that the water level on the Lim River will increase in the next 24 hours and will move above the limit of regular flood defenses.

On the upper course of the South Morava and Nisava rivers, water levels will rise in the next 24 hours, reaching and exceeding regular flood defenses near Nis, Aleksinac and Mojsinje.

At the hydrological station Leskovac, the water levels have been above emergency flood defenses and will be slightly increasing over the next 24 hours.

Based on the hydrological situation, the current water levels on the rivers and the condition of the protective facilities, emergency flood defense has been declared on the South Morava-Vranje and Nisava-Nis Water Units, the public company (JVP) Srbijavode has announced.

Due to the tendency of rising water levels and soil saturation, regular flood defense has been declared at the Water Unit Nisava-Nis, Dimitrovgrad and at the Water Unit Ibar-Kraljevo, Novi Pazar, sector M.12.

All JVP Srbijavode services and relevant water management companies, led by Director Goran Puzovic, are on the ground, monitoring the situation in order to take all preparatory actions and measures to prevent flooding of the area.

Crisis HQs met in Nis, Pirot, Dimitrovgrad and Vranje, where urgent measures to repair and prevent further damage have been adopted, and are being taken in coordination with the Sector for Emergency Situations and local self-governments, said a statement.

Namely, a flood wave from Bulgaria and Kosovo and Metohija threatens to endanger settlements in southeastern Serbia.

"Since the flood wave is slowly moving towards Pirot, we are now going there to monitor the situation. We don't expect big problems in Nis or Pirot, because both of these cities are protected the right way. In Vranje, where the level of the Morava River has risen, our teams are also monitoring the situation in order to determine what we must do tonight and in the morning so that our citizens are safe," said the director of JVP Srbijavode.

Snow until January 15

The Republic Hydrometeorological Service (RHMZ) announced that snow will occasionally continue to fall in the territory of Serbia until January 15.

Today will see light snow, while tomorrow most of it will fall in southwestern Serbia and in the area of ​​Homolje; on Thursday snow will be falling in most parts increasing the depth, and on Friday in hilly and mountainous areas.

From January 16 to 20, it will be mostly dry, but very cold with moderate and strong morning frosts and daily temperatures in most places below 0 degrees centigrade around the clock, i.e., Serbia will have icy days, it was announced early this morning on the RHMZ website.

(Telegraf.rs)