Preliminary estimates indicate that the last floods in Sanski Most caused damage to buildings in the amount of about 2.2 million marks. The exact amount will be known after the commission completes its work. Otherwise, the situation is gradually normalizing in the municipality of Sanski Most, which suffered the greatest consequences in the floods in the Una-Sana canton.
Sanski Most, the city on nine rivers, was under water last week. There were big floods, Midhet Bešić, a resident of the San settlement of Trnova, which was cut off from the city.
“It was a disaster, it really was a flood and it got into the garage, but it’s good, now I managed to remove the machines as well. Here, when there’s a flood, you can’t get out. Here, on this road, 30-40 cm of water passed through,” says Bešić.
The city part of Sanski Most was also affected by floods, and with the high water level of the Sana River, the biggest challenge was the underground water, which made the situation even more difficult.
“The problem is that Sanski Most has nine smaller rivers that flow into the Sana and it can’t handle that much. The Sana hasn’t overflowed its banks like it used to, but we have groundwater coming from above and flooding this area,” says local resident Mirnes Džafić.
“I wasn’t flooded this year, like in 2011. Now I have a barn and outbuildings. I had to move my livestock up, 4 km from my house, to a relative’s,” says local resident Husein Kljunić.
In Sanski Most, around 200 residential buildings were hit by the heavy rains, as well as agricultural areas that were flooded. Preliminary estimates of the damage in Sanski Most amount to around 2.2 million BAM. A detailed assessment is yet to be made.
“The exact and true condition will be assessed by the damage commission. What we can say is that over 200 buildings were flooded. When I say flooded, it does not necessarily mean that water has entered every building. The buildings can be in water, but the water itself has not penetrated into the buildings, that part and that will be determined by the commission that is on the ground,” says the head of the Sanski Most Civil Protection Staff, Besim Delić.
According to citizens, the past week was difficult, but it was not like 2014, when the city and surrounding areas were completely affected by floods. Then work immediately began on the construction of the parapet wall in the most critical areas of the city, which was recently completed, and many believe that it was the key factor in preventing another flood like in 2014. Similar protection is now being planned for the banks of the Sana in the settlement of Trnova, which always suffer as soon as there are heavy rainfalls, Federalna writes.
Photo: archive
