20 days after the devastating flood, Strumyani is recovering step by step. The riverbeds and streets are being cleaned, but dozens of houses still show traces of the tidal wave, and some people cannot return to their homes, bTV reported.
In places that were immediately covered with mud, debris and trees after the disaster, the riverbed is visible again today. However, the facades of the houses clearly show how far the water has reached.
Among the most severely affected are Sonya and Mikhail. They managed to clean their home, but they still cannot live in it.
„We managed to clean the house, but we cannot live right now, because we don't even have bedrooms, we have nothing. "Everything broke," said Sonya.
The family's house is located in one of the lowest parts of Strumyani and suffered a heavy blow from the incoming water. The memory of the night of the disaster is still vivid.
„It was very scary. Everything happened in 10 minutes. It was filled to the terrace with water, the cars were in the air, they were already spinning and we heard the trees hitting the house. There was a loud rumble. It was something scary, indescribable“, the woman said.
The family found themselves trapped in the house and could not get out on their own.
„The firefighters saved us. They even waited outside for the water level to drop a little so they could come in to us. The horror was indescribable. "We stood inside for 40 minutes waiting to be rescued," recalls Sonia.
Until their home is rebuilt, the family is living with her parents.
In the first days after the disaster, help came from volunteers, the army and the local authorities.
"They were right next to us and did a great job. We are very grateful," she says.
The damage to the family's home is extensive, but Sonia and Mikhail have not yet calculated how much it will cost to fully rebuild it. So far, they have received a one-time grant of 1,170 euros.
"We need a lot of things, but everything will happen gradually, because it doesn't happen right away," says Sonia.
According to her, the amount allocated so far is insufficient given the damage done. “I suppose there will be more money“, she added. The family has not yet even made an approximate calculation of the losses.
“We are still so inadequate at the moment. Gradually, with faith and with help, we will cope“, says Sonya.
The mayor of Strumyani municipality Emil Iliev remembers the first minutes of the disaster as some of the most difficult. The moment the torrential rain began, the phone calls from worried residents started one after another.
“People in worried voices were saying on the phone that they were drowning, which was terrible for me in the whole situation, seeing the torrential rain“, he said. Because of the water, access to some of the settlements was practically impossible.
“Imagine – "For an hour the phone was constantly ringing from different people who were screaming and saying that they were scared and terrified by what was happening," Iliev added.
In the first hours after the flood, mobilization of teams and equipment began. According to the mayor, the director of the Main Directorate "Fire Safety and Population Protection" Chief Commissioner Alexander Dzhartov also arrived on site.
The next day, heavy equipment was mobilized, including machines working on infrastructure sites in the area, as well as equipment from local companies.
„For the first three or four days, we managed to unblock the main arteries leading to the "Struma" highway at the Strumyani junction, so that people can pass,“ Iliev pointed out.
As of now, a large part of the streets have already been cleared and traffic on them is possible.
The first priority after the disaster was to free homes from mud and silt. The goal was to remove the stagnant water and accumulated silt as quickly as possible due to the risk of infections. The clearing of the roads continues.
However, the damage is not only to homes. Two stadiums and sports fields were flooded, streets, neighborhoods and other public infrastructure were affected.
There is insurance for part of the affected public infrastructure. Among them are artificial sports fields and playgrounds built under various projects.
After the initial inspections by the insurers, the municipality expects to be reimbursed part of the funds needed for their repair. However, for most of the damage, such coverage is not available.