One dead, hundreds evacuated or cut off after heavy rains cause floods in north-east Romania

Update - July 29: The death toll following the extreme weather in Romania rose to three, after two elderly women were found dead by emergency teams. The first, aged 85, was spotted by helicopters in the Bistrița riverbed, in the locality of Neagra.

“With the help of a backhoe loader, the military firefighters extracted and evacuated the deceased victim to an area from which she could be taken over by the authorized institutions,” ISU Suceava reported.

The third victim, an 83-year-old woman, is also from the Neagra locality, the hardest hit by flash floods. Her body will be recovered by emergency teams as well.

Helicopters, drones, and hundreds of rescuers are in Suceava and Neamț counties, where storms have caused devastation.

Initial story: Localities in six counties were affected by floods and storms on Sunday, July 27, but the hardest-hit were those in north-east Romania, specifically in the Suceava and Neamț counties, where precipitation caused rivers to swell out of control.

On Sunday, the National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management (INHGA) issued a red alert for rivers in the counties of Suceava, Harghita, and Neamț. Severe weather was also reported in Alba, Arad, Botoșani, Hunedoara, and Vâlcea. Reports quickly came in confirming extreme danger in the downstream of several rivers. The Dârmoxa and Neagra streams, tributaries of the Bistrița River, overflowed.

Floods hit several villages. One person drowned in the locality of Broșteni, Suceava County, and approximately 880 people were evacuated in Neamț County due to flash floods. Videos of the floods showcase the extent of the damages.

In Ostra, eight people, including two children, were left isolated and took refuge on the upper floor of a house, later being rescued by firefighters. Several localities in the county are completely isolated, with no phone signal, and authorities cannot estimate how many people need help.

Two SMURD helicopters are operating in the Broșteni area, where the situation is critical. The floods have destroyed bridges, blocked national roads with debris and fallen trees, and a section of road collapsed between Ostra and Stulpicani.

The main problems were caused by the overflowing of the Bistrița River, which recorded a historic discharge, the highest in the last five decades. “The Bistrița registered a historic maximum since the 1970s. We are talking about a height of 390 cm. To give you an idea, the danger threshold of this river is 350 cm. It exceeded the danger level by 40 cm,” said the Neamț County deputy prefect for