If the forest has been felled and the rain doesn’t look like stopping – that means there will be flooding.

At least a dozen people have been killed by flash floods which have struck the Black Sea resort town of Varna. Torrential rain caused severe flooding in Bulgaria, sweeping away cars, reducing scores of homes to rubble, the Daily Mail.

A state of emergency was declared in the Black Sea city hit hardest by the torrential rain. Many drivers were in need of help as the heavy rain flooded the streets and their cars skidded. Power cuts left hundreds in the dark. The rain stopped, but the threat of more flooding remains.

Flooding is no rare occurrence in the world – it is one of the most frequent natural calamities and it can happen anywhere, with the exception of the Polar circle. So, it is wise to know what to do if you are going on holiday, especially with the flash flooding that occurred in Bulgaria.

What makes these floods so dangerous is that they develop with stealth, unnoticed. Terrible tidal waves can develop dozens of kilometers away from where you are. Being far from the river, you will not hear the roar of the water or of the wind. And all of a sudden, the water will rush in and it is so difficult to know where to run.

If you are on the road, get away at once! Half a meter of water is enough to have your car skidding after which it will begin to sink – at the deep end. Getting out of a sinking vehicle is incredibly hard. When you do get out, put on a high-visibility jacket, you’ll need it. Put on warm clothes and take with you what will save your life, nothing more. You can put your other gear in the trunk, close it and go. Your car will be found – what matters is that you won’t be in it.

In 2010 almost the whole of Europe was flooded. The Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, France were the countries hit hardest. There followed a public outcry because the authorities were unprepared for this disaster – something that should have been addressed long before that. Flooding on such a scale is not so frequent, usually once every ten years. So, who will invest in a drainage project now, that would safeguard the population during the flood in 2024?

English: Milena Daynova