By: C. R., STA
In Škofja Loka, the efforts to mitigate the consequences of Friday’s storm continue today. All hamlets are now at least conditionally accessible, and earthworks and construction continue to improve the accessibility of the damaged roads. Simultaneously, the identification of the most hazardous landslides is underway to initiate their remediation. Additionally, the cleaning of watercourses has commenced.
As stated by the Mayor of Škofja Loka, Tine Radinja, similar activities to those on Tuesday are continuing today. Significant earthworks and construction efforts persist in the most affected areas to ensure the best possible access to these locations. “Many areas are fortunately accessible, but this accessibility is highly conditional, in some places only with high four-wheel-drive vehicles,” he explained.
The supply of residents in harder-to-reach areas who cannot reach stores or medical facilities on their own is still ongoing. Emergency supplies of electricity and water are also being provided where the electrical and water networks have not been fully restored. The Škofja Loka utility company is striving to implement all necessary measures to lift the water boiling advisory in the municipality.
“We are dealing with the reality of the consequences of this catastrophe, the extent of which is revealed anew every morning,” emphasised the Mayor. He explained that a significant number of landslides are being encountered. These are being documented and investigated by geologists to expedite the remediation of the most dangerous ones that pose threats to lives, buildings, and roads.
“The construction machinery is coming to aid from all corners of Slovenia,” said the Mayor, who is also grateful for the assistance of numerous volunteers working alongside various professional services. “If you need help to come to you as well, please let us know. Also, inform us if you have noticed that your fellow residents need assistance,” the municipality is urging its citizens.
While cleaning is underway in the flooded buildings, there are still many people, according to the Mayor’s words, who cannot return home yet. Most of them are staying with relatives, and some have been accommodated in municipal apartments.
“The civil protection across the entire municipality is coordinating the cleaning of spaces, volunteer coordination, waste disposal, construction machinery work, and the protection of watercourses, where erosion continues and houses are at risk,” explained Radinja. He clarified that workers have been in Sora and other watercourses since Tuesday.
One of the key tasks performed by the civil protection headquarters is also responding to the needs of people who are still calling the emergency number and require assistance. Only once the emergency matters are concluded, the civil protection headquarters can transform into a kind of recovery team, explained the Mayor. He also announced that an extraordinary session of the municipal council is planned, as a change to the ordinance on assistance to residents will likely be needed, and certainly a budget amendment as well. However, the extent of the damage and the amount of funds to be allocated in the municipal budget must be assessed first.
Work after the disaster continues in the Poljane Valley as well, where in the Gorenja vas – Poljane municipality alone, they have documented 162 landslides that caused damage, and ten destroyed or damaged bridges. As Mayor Milan Čadež explained, they have also started cleaning the filled watercourses, which, with new rainfall, could potentially threaten houses and other structures again.
In Kamnik, the rivers have completely transformed the landscape of two valleys
Mayor of Kamnik, Matej Slapar, told STA that with the help of friends and volunteers, residents have already begun the process of repairing the damage. The most severe damage occurred in the valleys of Črna, Kamniška Bistrica, and Bistrica. The valleys in Tunjice and Laniše have been completely transformed, where, according to Slapar, the rivers deposited one meter high layers of debris and covered parts of these valleys.
“I was awakened by a terrible rumbling as the stream carried cars and rocks,” said a resident of the settlement Črna pri Kamniku, Stane Leskošek. He had retreated to the hill to escape the water and only after a few hours managed to establish contact with his immediate neighbours. According to him, the residents of Črna had no contact with the authorities on the first day, which was the most difficult part. “I thought that other people did not even know what had happened in Črna,” he recalls. It was only on the second day that he heard the heavy machinery breaking through the mud and landslides.
Road connections to these villages were partially restored on Monday, and they were made accessible for heavy machinery, emergency vehicles, and the supply of essential necessities. They are currently rapidly removing debris, and about 300 firefighters are still working to reach some of the villages, Slapar stated.
On Monday evening, the municipal company Kamnik restored a part of the destroyed water supply system, but the search for faults in the network will take some more time. There is still a shortage of water in certain areas of Kamnik, Slapar said, adding that water tanks have been provided to households in those areas. Electricity has also been restored, and where it was not yet possible, firefighters provided generators.
“We have plenty of milk, pasta, rice, canned goods,” listed Leskošek. However, according to him, everyone is missing boots, as the water either carried them away or soaked them.
Kamnik is currently also dealing with enormous amounts of bulky waste. Many cars were also destroyed, but Slapar could not provide an exact estimate in terms of numbers. They will not be able to process the bulky waste themselves; the state will need to provide assistance, he said.
“Such a catastrophe has never occurred in these parts before, and without the help of the state, we will not be able to manage this,” Slapar estimated. The first step of recovery is to ensure accessibility so that life can return to normal, followed by a permanent restoration that, according to Slapar, will take several years since the valleys, riverbeds, and supporting walls need to be rebuilt.
He added that the municipality has already started preparing a budget revision, freezing all non-essential matters and contracts that have not yet been implemented, redirecting funds towards the recovery efforts.
In recent days, Slovenia has faced the worst natural disaster in the history of its independent state. Extensive rainfall triggered floods and landslides, devastating two-thirds of the country. While the water flows are calming down, the receded water has left behind ruined roads, bridges, and infrastructure. Many people have lost their homes. Numerous aid efforts are underway to help those affected, and assistance has also come from abroad.