Severe storms hit Romania on Thursday (Jul 17), wreaking havoc and causing widespread damage across parts of the country. According to the Department for Emergency Situations (DSU), the severe weather conditions have resulted in damage to 60 localities across 14 counties and the capital, Bucharest. The National Meteorological Administration of the country issued Code Red and Code Orange alerts in several areas.
People took to social media as they posted videos, sharing the severity of the storm. Several clips went viral as social media users expressed shock over videos showing powerful winds and heavy downpours, which resulted in widespread damage.
The storm uprooted trees and resulted in damage to the buildings. Multiple areas also witnessed flooding due to heavy rainfall. According to authorities, a woman in Otopeni lost her life when the roof of another building collapsed on her. Two people were also injured after being struck by falling branches as several trees fell in Bucharest.
An RO-Alert red code warning was sent to Bucharest residents for severe storms, medium-sized hail, and heavy rainfall, as people were urged to take shelter. According to the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), the Orange Code warning was issued in Dâmboviţa, Giurgiu and Ilfov counties. Seven localities in Ilfov and Giurgiu counties were affected. A Red Code warning was issued for Giurgiu, Ilfov counties and Bucharest, in the Capital, where efforts are underway to clear damage from the storm.
According to a statement released by the DSU, significant damage was reported in the counties of Argeș, Bacău, Brașov, Buzău, Constanța, Dâmbovița, Galați, Giurgiu, Ialomița, Ilfov, Mureș, Prahova, Teleorman, Vrancea, and in Bucharest.
The severe weather conditions also disrupted road and air traffic. The traffic on the A1 motorway in Giurgiu county was temporarily halted due to a fallen road sign and scattered branches. Meanwhile, about 15 incoming flights were forced to circle before landing at Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport, resulting in significant delays