Emergency Crews on Alert: Southwestern Bulgaria Faces New Flood Threat

The water level of the Mesta River has risen sharply in the area around Cherna Mesta in Yakoruda Municipality, prompting local authorities to monitor the situation closely, BNR reported. Mayor Mehmed Vaklyov confirmed that the river is running unusually high and that three ravines above Yakoruda are also swollen and could pose a risk if rainfall intensifies. While the precipitation in Blagoevgrad District is currently light, the earlier downpour in Yakoruda has left the river system heavily charged. Vaklyov noted that emergency crews and heavy machinery are already deployed, though he stressed there is no immediate threat of flooding at this moment.

Conditions were calmer overnight in the neighboring municipalities of Sandanski, Petrich, Strumyani and Simitli, which declared a state of emergency yesterday because of the prolonged rainfall, various Bulgarian media reported. Although the heavy rain temporarily eased, light showers resumed early this morning. In Sandanski, teams remained stationed throughout the night in the most vulnerable locations. Mayor Atanas Stoyanov inspected damage in Novo Delchevo at dawn, where the strongest wave had passed, and attention is now focused on the smaller rivers feeding into the Struma and the nearby ravines.

Petrich Municipality also suffered extensive damage from yesterday’s rainfall. Dozens of private homes and public sites were inundated, while roads, bridges and slopes were affected by water erosion and landslides. The ravines proved especially problematic, carrying both water and illegally dumped waste. Authorities are now organizing teams in preparation for another round of heavy rain expected later today. A red weather alert remains active in Blagoevgrad for a second consecutive day.

Emergency crews stayed on duty overnight in the four municipalities where a disaster situation has been declared - Petrich, Sandanski, Simitli and Strumyani. Significant flooding affected homes, public buildings and infrastructure, with one destroyed bridge reported. The worst-hit areas in Petrich include the Podgorski region and the villages of Rupite, Karnalovo, General Todorov and Belasitsa. A breach in the wall of a small reservoir near Mitino briefly threatened the settlement, sending water through streets and properties. In some locations, controlled releases from smaller dams are required. More than 80 people, supported by heavy equipment, are working to stabilize the situation.

In Sandanski, intense rainfall caused damage to inter-village roads, bridges and residential and municipal buildings. Streets in parts of the town turned into rivers, and the surrounding villages of Novo Delchevo, Leshnitsa, Sklave, Dzhigurovo and Lilyanovo experienced the most serious consequences. Several stretches of the national road network were also affected by flooding, falling rocks and muddy debris.

Red alerts for heavy rain and localized flooding remain in place for Blagoevgrad, Smolyan and parts of Kardzhali, with neighboring districts under orange warnings and nine others under yellow. In Sandanski, authorities are beginning to assess the aftermath. Mayor Stoyanov said that between 60 and 70 liters of rain per square meter fell yesterday within a few hours. Residents of Novo Delchevo believe the flooding was worsened by water released from nearby dams, a claim that Stoyanov says must be checked so that people are reassured it was caused by weather conditions and not by human intervention.

The state of emergency continues in all four affected municipalities, although conditions are slowly stabilizing. Forecasts again warn of heavy rainfall in Blagoevgrad today. According to regional governor Georgi Dinev, operations are in place to respond quickly if the weather worsens, and there have been no new serious alerts on the emergency hotlines.

Sources:

• BNR
• BNT
• BTA