A snowstorm hit Croatia on Sunday and caused traffic chaos. Due to snow and strong winds, all roads connecting the interior of the country with Dalmatia are still closed.
Both the roads across Gorski Kotar and across Lika are closed. For people stuck in the snow, the Croatian Civil Protection opened collection centers and offered them accommodation in Gračac, Obrovac, Gospić and Knin. In Gračac, all restaurants, gas stations and shops were also open at night, as an 18-kilometer-long convoy of vehicles formed in the vicinity of this city on Sunday afternoon. She relaxed in the evening, when the workers managed to clean the road.
As correspondent Tanja Borčić Bernard reported for Radio Slovenija, on Sunday, despite warnings about the road being closed, some people set off on a journey where the snow was not cleared at all. The worst was around the Sveti Rok tunnel. These people were rescued all night by members of the Croatian mountain service.
All available plows and other working machines are still in the field today.
A red warning applies to parts of Croatia
The Croatian police are warning drivers not to travel towards Dalmatia. Even today, the gale will blow at a speed of up to 150 kilometers per hour, and it will continue to snow in Gorski Kotar and Lika. Croatian meteorologists have therefore issued a red warning for Kvarner and Velebit today, and an orange warning for the area around Rijeka, the western part of Istria and northern Dalmatia.
Maritime traffic will also continue to be disrupted. A strong storm that felled trees and uncovered roofs was reported from the Rijeka area on Sunday. The strongest gust of wind – 168 kilometers per hour – was measured on the bridge to Krk. As Croatian portals report, many catamarans and ferries do not run.
Snow also caused problems in western Serbia on Sunday. Several cars were stuck on roads, and thousands of people were left without electricity, the B92 portal reported. Almost half a meter of snow fell in the area of Prijepolje in just a few hours.
Source: Rtvslo
