Heavy rainfall and rising water levels across Bosnia and Herzegovina have caused problems on numerous roadways.
Prijedor
The Emergency Situations Headquarters of the City of Prijedor declared the first level of flood preparedness late last night, and the City Administration called on citizens to be extra cautious. Heavy rainfall caused torrential waters to appear, which raised the level of the Miloševica, Gomjenica and Sana rivers. It is estimated that between 350 and 400 houses and auxiliary buildings in the settlements of Vrbice, Topolik, Raškovac, Puharska and along the main road to Novi Grad were flooded in Prijedor, said Miroslav Krneta, head of the Civil Protection Department of the City of Prijedor. Heavy snowfall caused power line failures in the wider distribution area under the jurisdiction of “Elektrokrajina”. According to the company, several power lines are out of order in the Banja Luka area, and a larger number of power outages are being recorded in the Čelinac, Prijedor and Novi Grad areas.
Una-Sana Canton
According to the Cantonal Civil Protection Administration, the situation in the Una-Sana Canton remains difficult, but under control. In Bosanski Petrovac, the situation is difficult due to the failure to adopt the budget, but services are on the ground and the headquarters is in constant session. Around 80 percent of the roads have been cleared, and full passability is expected by the end of the day. The water supply is in order, while the Rasinovac-Skakavac power line is still out of order. The situation in Bihać is calm, but in some parts of the city there is still no power, while in Sanski Most it is stable. The most power outages are recorded in Velika Kladuša and Bužim, and problems are also being experienced in Cazin and Bosanska Krupa. The traffic ban for heavy vehicles is still in force on the Ključ-Bosanski Petrovac–Bihać and Bosanski Petrovac–Drvar sections, while the situation is still expected to return to normal.
Tuzla Canton
Snow is also falling intensively in the Tuzla Canton area. There are currently no people or property at risk. The water supply to Tuzla is being hampered due to power outages at a number of pumping stations. Due to water spilling onto the roadway, traffic has been suspended on the roads: Cerik -Dubrave, Vučkovci – Gračanica, Gradačac – Kerep and Tutnjevac – Bobetino Brdo. Two streets in Srebrenik are also closed to traffic for the same reasons. The Civil Protection Service warns of the danger of first and second category watercourses, especially the Spreča River, overflowing.
Zenica-Doboj Canton
All roads in the Zenica-Doboj Canton are passable. Firefighters have been working to remove trees from roadways. Electricity and water supply is mostly in order. In the municipality of Maglaj, electricity distribution teams have been on the ground since last night to restore regular electricity supply. As of this morning, electricity has been restored in most of Maglaj, and work is still underway to rehabilitate the network in Kosova, Bočinja and Domislica. It is expected that this part of the network will also be repaired during the day.
A search has been organized in Olovo for a missing person in the Stupčanica River. Civil protection is on the ground with its services, and citizens are also helping in the search.
Water levels in the Semberija area under control
Water levels in the Semberija area are still under control. At the Radalj measuring station on the Drina, the water level measured at 8 am was 217 cm, while the regular flood protection level is 450 cm. At the Jamena measuring station on the Sava River, 352 cm were measured, while the level of the regular flood defences is 970 cm. Traffic is currently suspended on the Bijeljina – Tuzla main road, on the Banj Brdo section. Due to poor road conditions, a truck has blocked traffic in both directions. Traffic is also suspended on the Ugljevik – Lopare regional road, on the Tobut – Vukosavci section, near the quarry.
Brčko District of BiH
Due to heavy rainfall that has affected the Brčko District of BiH in the past 24 hours, the water levels of the Brka and Tinja rivers and their tributaries have risen, which in some locations has caused water to overflow from the riverbed and flooding of land and road communications. According to information from the field, water overflowed during the night in local communities in the Tinja river basin, where agricultural land, yards and part of local roads were flooded. Since last night, emergency teams and institutions have been in the field, continuously monitoring the water level, visiting endangered areas and, if necessary, pumping water out of endangered structures in accordance with their authorities. In case of need and engagement of protection and rescue personnel, citizens can contact the operational and communication center phone numbers 121 and 123.
