Bulgaria

Floods in Bulgaria can cause significant property damage.

Between late January and early February 2012, severe winter storms, extreme cold, and heavy precipitation affected Bulgaria.  On February 6, the Ivanovo Dam in southeastern Bulgaria burst as a result of the severe weather, flooding the nearby village of Bisser.  The flooding and winter conditions resulted in eight deaths, displaced at least 1,000 individuals, and caused significant property damage, particularly downriver in Svilengrad Municipality.  In response to the emergency, the Government of Bulgaria (GoB) evacuated residents and provided shelter, food, water, and emergency relief commodities to affected individuals.  The GoB also monitored the water level in dams throughout the country in an effort to prevent additional flooding.

On February 8, 2012, U.S. Ambassador James B. Warlick, Jr., declared a disaster due to the effects of the winter emergency. In response, USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (USAID/OFDA) provided $50,000 to support the relief operations of the Bulgarian Red Cross.

USG HUMANITARIAN FUNDING PROVIDED IN FY 2012

*(As of September 4, 2012)

EMCA DRR Fact Sheet #1 (1.01mb PDF) and map (522kb PDF)