by floodlist,

Severe flash flooding struck the village of Rudno nad Hronom in Žarnovica district, Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia on 17 May 2021.

The dam of a reservoir near Rudno nad Hronom village breached as a result of the heavy rainfall. The ensuing flood waters damaged homes and dragged vehicles through streets of the village. Slovakia’s Fire and Rescue Service (HaZZ) said one person was swept away and was later found without signs of life. HaZZ also carried out some evacuations.

The Ministry of the Interior said that the flooding also destroyed multiple bridges and damaged gas connections. The mayor of the village declared an emergency situation. Prime Minister Eduard Heger expressed his sincere condolences to the family and loved ones of the victim and will visit the affected areas on 18 May 2021.

Flooding was reported elsewhere in the country with teams from HaZZ carrying out interventions to drain flood water and clean-up flood damage in Trenčín (49 interventions), Žilina (29), Banská Bystrica (25) and Nitra (22) regions.