Torrential flooding blocks villages near Ljig: "Cars can't pass, we don't dare go on foot"

Heavy rain that fell in Gornji Milanovac and Ljig caused torrential flooding that damaged crops, but also roads. A part of the municipality of Ljig was hit by heavy thunderstorms, hail and stormy wind yesterday around 5 pm.

One of the videos posted on social networks shows water in the village of Lalinci carrying trees and huge amounts of mud, blocking the local roads. This is how, reports Ljig Info, the Nikolic family lost access to their house.

"You can't pass by car, and we can't go on foot because the torrent is still large. I don't remember ever seeing this much water on the road. So far, there has been overflowing during heavy rains, but it never carried everything in front of it like this. We still don't know what the situation is with the crops and how much damage there is," said Dusan Nikolic from this village.

The village of Kozelj also suffered great damage, since fruit seedlings and all crops were destroyed by hailstones. Three years ago, this village was also the victim of a flood, when the River Kozeljica, which flows through the entire village, burst its banks.

There was a strong storm yesterday in Gornji Milanovac as well.

"The storm lasted for about 20 minutes, in some parts there were about ten centimeters of hailstones. The greatest damage was caused in parts of Dragoljsko Brdo and on the Kacer stretch. Plums, raspberries, wheat and clover were damaged the most," Nikola Jacimovic, president of the local government unit in Dragolj, told RINA.

Locals say that hailstones were the size of hazelnuts, and according to unofficial information, anti-hail missiles were fired into the clouds, thus preventing even greater material damage.

Topola didn't fare much better.

The most damage was caused in the villages of Satornja, Vinca, Blaznava, and Trnava.

"At first, the hailstones were the size of table tennis balls, and later they became ever smaller. In the village of Sume, hail was falling for almost 20 minutes, and in some locations the damage is complete. The greatest damage was done to cherry trees, which were supposed to be picked in a few days, but also to grapevines and apple trees. We heard them firing the missiles, but we don't know exactly how many," the locals said.

(Telegraf.rs)