A storm with strong winds and heavy rain swept through Slovenia last night, causing material damage across the country. Firefighters were busy, with the most interventions recorded in the Maribor area.
A severe storm accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain hit parts of Slovenia last night, leaving behind material damage. According to available information, the municipality of Starše near Maribor was hit hardest, where the storm uprooted trees, tore off roofs, and flooded basements.
In the municipality of Starše, the situation was most critical. Crews responded to a total of 17 locations in the settlements of Marjeta, Trniče, Prepolje, and Brunšvik. Firefighters from the voluntary fire departments of Starše, Prepolje, Trniče, and Zlatoličje, along with workers from the local utility company, were involved in the cleanup, and they were assisted by the professional Maribor Fire Station, i.e., the Maribor Fire Brigade.
Due to the high number of reports, the Municipality of Starše issued an urgent appeal to residents.
"We ask residents for understanding and patience as there are many interventions and field capacities are currently limited. Non-urgent matters that can wait until tomorrow can be reported to the Starše Fire Association via email. For emergencies, the number 112 is always available. This way, we will be able to prioritize cases where help is needed immediately,"the municipality stated. Sources slightly differ on the name of the fire organization for reporting non-urgent cases; Index.hr mentions the Starše Fire Community and the email address [email protected].
The storm did not spare other parts of the country. According to data from the Slovenian Administration for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief (i.e., the Administration for Protection and Rescue), the most reports about the storm's aftermath came from the Starše area. However, problems were also recorded in a number of other municipalities.
In Kungota, the wind toppled trees, while in Jesenice, it lifted part of a sheet metal roof, which firefighters then secured. Similar interventions on damaged roofs were recorded in the municipality of Rače-Fram. In Ilirska Bistrica, a gust of wind damaged part of the roof of Prem Castle, and local firefighters protected the damage, covering an area of about three square meters, with foil and sandbags. In Pivka, the wind broke off part of a tree trunk, endangering power lines, while in Dutovlje, in the municipality of Sežana, a fallen tree landed on a parked vehicle and a canopy. Due to heavy rain, problems with flooding and stormwater were also reported in the municipalities of Polzela, Prebold, Miklavž na Dravskem polju, and Pesnica.
