A destructive storm ripped through Bucharest, Romania, and 20 surrounding counties on Wednesday, claiming one life and damaging countless homes and vehicles, according to emergency services officials.
In Bucharest alone, emergency services received close to 2,000 calls for assistance, officials told the broadcaster Digi24. Multiple metro stations throughout the capital were submerged in floodwaters.
Beyond the city limits, the storm left a trail of destruction across 60 towns and villages. One fatality was recorded after a falling tree crushed a person’s vehicle.
Law enforcement and fire crews were dispatched across multiple counties to help evacuate residents from flooded properties and remove debris from affected areas.
The severe storm arrived on the heels of an intense heat wave that had gripped parts of Romania, with temperatures climbing past 40 degrees Celsius on Monday and Tuesday. The extreme heat had already strained the country’s power grid and driven electricity prices higher before the storm struck.
