Insurance companies estimate that the damages caused by last week’s storms to be over Sk105 million. They were the country’s most expensive natural disasters since 2004, when a windstorm hit the High Tatras. At that time damages came to Sk150 million, the Pravda daily wrote.
A windstorm hit Slovakia on June 21, followed by heavy rain on June 22.
“The rain [on June 22] did not cause much new damage, but significantly increased the already existing damage,” spokesperson of insurer Česká Poisťovňa – Slovensko, Zuzana Hliváková, told the daily. Insurance companies had reported almost 2,000 injuries by June 25.
On June 25, a cloud-burst and windstorm hit the eastern-Slovak town of Trebišov. Rain water flooded the cellars of many houses, wind blew the sheet-metal roofs off the local culture house and market. The roofs damaged parked cars and the front of a house. Fire fighters also received reports of five other roofs that had blown off, broken trees and damaged cars.
A strong wind hit Bratislava at night on June 25. Fire fighters had to remove broken trees from Židovská Street, Zelinárska Street, Komárnická Street, Pavlovova Street and Mlynské Luhy Street. Citizens of the nearby town of Svätý Jur also reported fallen branches.
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
