The level of the Osam River in Troyan reached 384 cm at 6:00 a.m., Martin Machev, director of the National Institute of Meteorology and Hydrology (NIMH) - Pleven branch, told BTA. After that, it began to fall and two hours later it was already 353 cm.
According to Machev, in the village of Cherni Osam, the river has a very high level and is at a critical maximum.
In Lovech, the Osam River reached 229 cm at 8:00 a.m. and continues to rise. On the left bank, the water has overflowed the spillway in one place, a BTA reporter saw.
In Teteven, the Beli Vit River is 298 cm, and its level also continues to rise. For comparison - yesterday morning 103 cm were measured, said Macev. The Beli Vit River has reached 148 cm, the rise continues.
The director of the NIMH - Pleven branch added that over the past 24 hours the largest amount of rain fell in Apriltsi - 86 liters/sq. meter. The mayor of Apriltsi, incumbent Tihomir Kukenski, also declared a state of emergency on the territory of the municipality. In Ugarchin 72 l/sq. m were measured, in Cherni Osam - 71 l/sq. m, in Chiflik - 63 l/sq. m, in Shipkovo - 59 l/sq. m, in Lesidren - 43 l/sq. m, in Ribaritsa - 42 l/sq. m, in Yablanitsa - 26 l/sq. m.
The measured amount of rain in 24 hours in the regional center Lovech is 22 l/sq. meter.
The rainfall continues during the day, they are mainly in the Fore-Balkans, added Martin Macev.
A yellow warning code has been issued for the Lovech region for significant rainfall.
Over 20 signals were received this night about flooded yards, basements and premises, mainly in the Troyan villages of Oreshak and Cherni Osam and properties at the beginning of Troyan, the Regional Directorate (RD) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Lovech reported to BTA. Several signals were also received from Apriltsi, where the mayor, Eng. Tihomir Kukenski, reported about several rivers overflowing their beds. An elderly woman was also evacuated from her home there. There are currently no reports of other people in danger or needing evacuation, police said.
Attempts are being made with heavy equipment to move two trees blocking the riverbed in the village of Oreshak.
There are separate reports in Teteven, but the situation is currently under control. The situation is similar in Lovech.
"The competent services are actively working to eliminate the problems and gradually clear the affected areas and restore the passability of the roads. We want to reassure all residents that the situation is being monitored continuously and the necessary actions are being taken to normalize the situation as soon as possible," the mayor of the village of Cherni Osam, Marin Sirakov, told BTA.
The mayor of Troyan, Donka Mihaylova, announced that she is convening a crisis headquarters.
A state of emergency has been declared in Apriltsi, the mayor of the municipality, Eng. Tihomir Kukenski, told BTA. According to him, the rainfall is increasing again, and efforts are being made to save several bridges on the Vidima River and the Ostreshka River from collapsing, he added.
A little earlier, Mayor Kukenski announced to BTA that all celebrations in Apriltsi on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Novoselsko Uprising - an episode of the April Uprising - are being canceled. The reason is local floods caused by rivers overflowing their banks due to heavy rainfall over the past 24 hours. The situation is critical and, given the safety of the city's residents and guests, the program must be canceled, the mayor added.
A crisis headquarters has been convened in the Troyan municipality, which is meeting, the deputy mayor of the municipality, Eng. Nikolay Raykovski, told BTA.
As a result of the heavy rainfall, houses in Apriltsi have been flooded, a woman has been evacuated and placed in social housing, he told BTA earlier.