Balgarianovinite.com Southwest Bulgaria was hit by intense rainfall over the past 24 hours, triggering localized flooding, drainage overflows, alerts and emergency responses in several towns, including Sandanski, Petrich, Rupite, Razlog, and Blagoevgrad.
In Sandanski, the municipality processed around ten flooding reports, Mayor Atanas Stoyanov told BTA. Local authorities and fire service teams responded with heavy machinery, including excavators. The most affected areas were the Melnik region and the villages of Slave and Novo Delchevo. Fire crews are clearing mud and debris from main streets as conditions begin to normalize.
The Petrich region was also severely impacted. More than ten reports of flooded basements were filed with the fire service, said chief inspector Stoyan Tilev. According to local meteorological data, 50 liters per square meter of rain fell in the last 24 hours, accompanied by hail and intense thunderstorm activity. In the Podgorie area, rainfall reached 70 liters per square meter.
The village of Rupite experienced some of the worst damage, with over ten flooded basements and yards. Mayor Dimitar Gospodinov said the heaviest impact was along several residential streets, where families attempted but failed to stop the water with makeshift dikes. Five houses sustained significant damage. Insufficient drainage infrastructure contributed to the flooding, he noted, as water accumulates in the lower end of the village and exceeds capacity during heavy rainfall.
In Razlog, municipal teams, fire services, and police worked overnight after the Yazo River overflowed its banks. Three critical points in the town were secured and monitored, and heavy machinery was deployed to redirect water and control the overflow before it reached the urban riverbed. No reports of stranded residents or flooded homes were received. Authorities urged citizens to avoid affected areas and follow official instructions.
Blagoevgrad was also hit by torrential rain on Friday. The Road Infrastructure Agency warned drivers to use caution along road I-1 due to waterlogged pavement and poor visibility.
On Friday evening, strong rainfall returned to Petrich, where the municipal emergency team responded to four additional alerts involving flooded houses and yards.
Chief inspector Stoyan Tilev of the local fire service reported on Saturday that conditions in Petrich have now fully normalized after the overnight downpours. Over the past 24 hours, emergency teams carried out ten responses – mainly to pump out water from basements in industrial and residential buildings. Some streets were temporarily flooded. Most alerts were registered between 20:00 and 22:00, and the situation was stabilized around midnight. In the villages of the municipality, signals were mainly linked to water overflowing onto roadways. Municipal administration teams are currently inspecting all critical points. Heavy Rainfall Causes Flooding and Disruptions Across Southwest Bulgaria 2025 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2025-11-22 11:25:00 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law