2014 Southeast Europe floods

2014 Southeast Europe floods

The Yvette storm in Southeast Europe, 15 May 2014
Date	13 May 2014 – 27 May 2014
Location	Serbia  Bosnia and Herzegovina  Croatia  Romania
Deaths	At least 86 57 in Serbia[1] 24 in Bosnia and Herzegovina[2] 2 in Croatia[3][4] 2 in Romania[5][6] 1 in Slovakia[7]
Property damage	More than one billion euros[8]

Between 13 and 18 May 2014 a low-pressure cyclone^[9] designated Tamara and Yvette affected a large area of Southeastern and Central Europe, causing floods and landslides. Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered the greatest damage, as the rain was the heaviest in 120 years of recorded weather measurements.^[10][11] By 20 May, at least 62 people had died as a result of the flooding, and hundreds of thousands had been forced from their homes. Towns of Obrenovac in Serbia and Doboj in Bosnia and Herzegovina account for most victims, after being inundated by several-meter high waters from nearby rivers.^[12]

Floodwaters caused over 2,000 landslides across Southeast Europe, spreading damage across many towns and villages.^[13] The rains activated torrents and mudslides, and subsequently several rivers in watersheds of Sava and Morava rose and flooded surrounding valleys. Official counts indicate that over 1.6 million people were affected in Serbia and Bosnia, after a week of flooding.^[14]

Assessments of the damage range up to €3.5 billion for Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[15] Damage in Serbia, jointly estimated by EU, World Bank group and UN officials, stands at 1,55 billion euros.^[16] Officials in Bosnia stated that the damage could exceed that of the Bosnian War.^[17] The events initiated a large international aid campaign, with numerous countries, organizations and individuals donating humanitarian, material and monetary support for the affected areas.