NATURAL AND OTHER DISASTERS IN SLOVENIA IN 2003

Abstract

This article gives an overview of natural and other disasters in Slovenia in 2003. As for natural and other disasters, the year 2003 was considerably turbulent and, in many aspects, record-breaking. This year was marked by a long and persisting drought, particularly in the North East of Slovenia; by a very warm summer, record-breaking overall number of fires as well as wildfires, structural fires and other fires; by a large number of extensive and long-lasting wildfires and fires that needed extinguishing by helicopter. In that year, fire blight of pears, a destructive bacterial disease of fruit trees and ornamental shrubs, occurred in Slovenia for the first time. Another unusual phenomenon was a very early snow – on 23 October – that caused a great deal of trouble. There were some severe accidents, for example, extensive fish deaths in the Ljubljanica in the middle of June, a fire in Ojstro – a coalmine in Hrastnik – and two mining accidents. Spring frost and summer storms, on the other hand, cannot be termed unusual. Without counting the fatalities in road traffic, 102 people died, and 440 people were injured in the accidents discussed in this article. In 2003, at least 89,066 persons were involved in interventions during natural and other disasters, which does not, however, reflect the overall situation as the data on drinking water transports by means of tank trucks are not included; it is mainly the protection, rescue and assistance forces that have been taken into account. In 2003, the total costs amounted to at least SIT 855,573,638.00, taking into account the mentioned facts, which is almost SIT 300 million more than in 2002. This difference is chiefly the result of numerous wildfires, also those that needed extinguishing by means of helicopter, and the relatively high costs of transporting drinking water by tank trucks.