After the heavy rains and floods in Slovenia, concerns about possible landslides persist. The water levels in some rivers have either fallen or remained stable. But the high level of soil moisture is currently making landslides more likely, the Slovenian Geological Service has warned, according to the Slovenian news agency STA. He called on the population to pay more attention to changes in the ground, buildings and slopes.
Many people remained in makeshift shelters. Because of the flooding on the Mur river after a dam burst, 500 people were evacuated from the village of Dolnja Bistrica in the east of the country on Saturday evening. Because of the threat of landslides, 110 people were also brought to safety near Koroska Bela and along the Meza River near the Austrian border. The day before there had already been landslides in many places.
The level of the Mur, which has its source in Austria, initially remained high but stable. On the other hand, the level of the Sava, Slovenia’s largest river, fell.
On the night of Sunday alone, civil protection was deployed 230 times in a total of 186 locations. 137 firefighting units implemented landslide and flood protection measures, pumped water from flooded buildings, removed fallen trees, rescued people from vulnerable buildings, and delivered much-needed food and medicine.
concern in Austria and Croatia
In Austria, the heavy rain is followed by the threat of landslides and a high groundwater level: there is still no relaxation in the south. The rain in the affected areas in the south of the country has decreased significantly since Saturday. However, several completely softened slopes threatened to slide off, as reported by the fire brigade. You also have to move out again and again to pump out flooded cellars, said the spokesman for the fire brigade in the state of Carinthia, Hans-Jörg Rossbacher, on ORF radio.
Because of the threat of landslides, at least 40 houses and apartments in Carinthia were evacuated as a precaution. People stayed with others or in emergency shelters. The neighboring federal state of Styria, like Carinthia on the border with Slovenia, was also affected. There, the levels of most rivers and streams fell, with the exception of the Mura, which flows through Graz towards Slovenia.
Contrary to initial fears, the southern neighboring country of Croatia was initially spared from major flooding in inhabited areas until yesterday evening. However, there was no clear all-clear. Because of the expected tidal wave on the rivers from neighboring Slovenia to the north, the Croatian authorities had taken precautions with dykes made of sandbags and the drainage of river water in places.
