NATURAL AND OTHER DISASTERS IN SLOVENIA IN 2002

Abstract

There were no major natural disasters in 2002, although some disasters did cause many problems. There was a drought in the spring and another one in June, however, neither having such devastating effects as in the two preceding years. This was also due to more rainfall later on in the summer, although chiefly in the form of adverse storms and showers, as is usually the case. In the spring, the Posavje region was struck twice by frost. In the summer, there were numerous storms, some of which quite tempestuous. The autumn passed without usual major floods and landslides, although there were several autumnal floods. The coast saw several very high tides, of which the highest in June, which was rather unusual. There was severe wind damage in mid-November chiefly in Gorenjska and Bovško. There was little snow and sleet; the same goes for earthquakes – they caused no damage although some earthquakes were relatively strong (with magnitudes from 3.2 to 3.7). Since the weather was too warm and too dry in the spring, there were many wildfires (1874); however, not as many as in 1998, 2000 and 2003 – a record-breaking year so far. The total number of fires was 4762. In 2002, there were several severe structural fires causing extensive damage, the most extensive in the Tomos factory of Koper on the last day of 2003. There were 17 explosions. Without counting the fatalities in road traffic in 2002, 92 people died in the accidents dealt with, (mostly due to accidents on and in water, in the mountains and elsewhere in almost inaccessible terrains, and in fires); 399 people were injured, mostly in mountain accidents and in other accidents in almost inaccessible terrains; in fires, explosions and in storms. The total number of persons involved in interventions is therefore at least 73,405, which does not, however, reflect the overall situation as the data on drinking water transports by means of tank trucks are not available and therefore not included; it is mainly the protection, rescue and assistance forces that have been taken into account, but not other authorities and services. In 2002, the total costs amounted to at least SIT 557,011,185.00, taking into account the same facts as in the total number of persons involved.