Flash floods hit ten districts in Moldova, no casualties
Moldovan emergency teams deployed across ten districts over the weekend to mitigate damage after torrential rains and overnight storms triggered widespread flash floods. The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU) responded to 65 urgent requests for assistance as heavy deluges submerged households, damaged roads, and disrupted transit. Authorities confirmed that no casualties or injuries have been reported, and operational teams remain on permanent alert.
The most severe destruction occurred in the Ialoveni district, where raging waters hit the communities of Puhoi, Tipala, Gangura, and Carbuna. In Gangura, a five-mile (eight-kilometer) stretch of road sustained heavy damage, impacting approximately 100 households. Emergency crews in Puhoi and Tipala towed seven stranded vehicles, including three minibuses and a passenger car, from flooded roadways.
The local Commission for Exceptional Situations convened an emergency meeting in Puhoi, deploying heavy machinery to stabilize the area. According to the IGSU, "two motor graders, two excavators, four trucks, and a front loader are deployed in mitigating the consequences, performing mud evacuation, unblocking access routes, and restoring affected infrastructure."
Straseni district also faced significant disruption from the severe weather system. Flash floods hit the municipality of Straseni along with the villages of Voinova, Chirianca, Onesti, Rassvet, and Greblesti, leaving homes surrounded by water and blocking several road sectors.
Emergency crews pumped water out of private properties in Straseni and Vorniceni, while severe pooling was reported on roadways in Recea and Capriana. In Bucovat, the storm brought heavy hail and violent wind gusts, while a partial power outage in Greblesti was quickly resolved by utility teams.
Further north, hillside runoff in Gribova village, located in the Drochia district, flooded approximately 20 homes and basements. First responders and local volunteers worked through the night to pump out standing water and clear choked drainage canals.
Flooding issues also extended to the Telenesti, Soroca, Rezina, and Sangerei districts. In Telenesti town, a ruptured drainage canal flooded a basement and a home, prompting rescue teams to pump water from multiple residential buildings. In Soroca, authorities temporarily closed the L99 local road between Regina Maria and Bulboci due to heavy mud accumulation on the asphalt. Debris also blocked roads in Peciste (Rezina) and partially obstructed the R6 national highway near Cliscauti (Sangerei) before the State Road Administration cleared the route.
In the capital city of Chisinau and neighboring Durlesti, significant water accumulation slowed traffic on major thoroughfares, including Muncesti Thoroughfare, Dacia Boulevard, and Calea Basarabiei, though transit was not completely halted.
As a preventative measure against rising water levels, emergency forces pre-positioned equipment downstream of the Botna River in Homuteanovca, Cainari, and Cirnatenii Noi. Personnel built a protective dike in Homuteanovca to shield a home after six properties and five agricultural plots were affected by the swelling river.
"Following the assessment, it was established that the situation in Puhoi locality is stable, the water level is decreasing, with no imminent risks for the local water basin," IGSU officials stated.
Emergency units continue to work alongside local authorities and road maintenance crews to assess the full financial and structural scope of the storm damage. IGSU representatives reaffirmed that "deceased or injured persons as a result of the recorded meteorological phenomena have not been reported."
