Floods in Albania, Defence Minister: 30 families evacuated, hundreds of hectares underwater

From the Mifoi Bridge, Defence Minister Niko Peleshi announced that the situation is already under control, the level of the Vjosa River has fallen while several hundred hectares of land in the Vlora area and Fier are flooded. Some 30 families have been evacuated to avoid any harm.

The minister, also based on weather forecasts by the IDREUM, said we are expected to have improvement in the next few hours.

“Today has been a hard day for all civil forces operational. We are at Mifo Bridge where the most critical situation has been during today. It's a blow of the Vjosa River, which has caused floods in several hundred hectares in the Vlora and Fieri area, but let's just say that the worst has been avoided compared to the scenarios of past years, we talk about several hundred hectares that were strangled not several thousand. For several days we have been waiting for escalation of the situation, we have also established the FA, 75 troops and multiple tools all day long in the battle with the aftermath of the flood. Some 30 families have been evacuated to avoid any harm. In such emergency cases we have the first human life, we've done the maximum and we have no dramatic balance, we've avoided them”

Pelesh said that hydrovories across the country are working at full capacity, and reservoirs are under control.

“The two investments made in recent years, two shale, the Victory and the Cervene, without them with this level of water flow, we would have several thousand hectares flooded. We saved them thanks to these investments and we've been very coordinated. The situation is good, the level on the Mifo Bridge has dropped maybe 50cm, there's no rainfall, there won't be tomorrow, we expect that by morning, we say we have a 1m drop in water. The water's drawing, the hydrovories are at work, and we're at work no matter what the weather is about to create.

In terms of road infrastructure, circulation continues on all fields of roads, and in the north, where the situation is most problematic because of snowfall, drivers are forced to move in chains. Also, in the north of the country, there have been blackouts in several villages.

There have been snowfalls north of this, and this has brought power cuts to villages that have been today without light. Some roads that are hard to cross, but we have kept all national roads open. The days ahead will not be days of heavy rainfall, coming towards extinction, we are at the top of the job, and I want to calm the residents who won't help you with our help”, the minister said. /T Ch/