Partial State of Emergency Declared in Pomorie after Major Storm

Jerusalem, 18 September, 2022 (TPS) -- POMORIE, ON THE BLACK SEA, 18.09.2022 (BTA)
A partial state of emergency was declared in the Black Sea resort of Pomorie on Sunday after the area was hit by a fierce storm the day before, sending a dozen boats away into the sea, flooding streets, knocking down trees and causing power outages, the municipal government reported. Vineyards in the vicinity of Pomorie were damaged and some of them were destroyed almost completely. A man who fell overboard from a yacht was rescued.

“The damage to property is big. It is a miracle that no one was seriously injured,” the Mayor of the regional capital Burgas, Dimitar Nikolov, commented.

Pomorie went on backup electricity supply from the Kableshkovo Substation after power lines were damaged and the Horizont Substation was left without input, electricity distributor EVN reported.

According to the municipal government press office, the strong wind inflicted great damage on local facilities of the Electricity System Operator (ESO). The storm brought down 13 posts of two 110 kV lines.

Electricity supply in Pomorie, some settlements around the town and the Sarafovo suburb of Burgas were restored by Saturday night. Crews of the ESO and Elektrorazpredelenie South continue to work together to repair further damage.

The main road between Pomorie and Burgas, the road between Pomorie and Aheloi, the road to the Kamenar neighborhood and the streets in Pomorie were cleared of fallen trees and are passable. Street lighting in Pomorie is expected to be restored at 60% by the end of the day on Sunday.

The storm destroyed over 150 hectares of vineyards near Pomorie, which is a major wine and brandy making area. The scale of damage is estimated at 95% and the ruined crop at more than a million tons, the municipal government said. Pomorie Mayor Ivan Alexiev and Burgas Regional Governor Maria Neikova inspected damaged vineyards.

The Agriculture Ministry said that farmers affected by the storm in THE Burgas Region may apply for aid, starting immediately. The money will be provided on the basis of records of findings. The payments will be made as soon as possible.