Here Comes the Rain Again

Recently, I've had the privilege of talking to a few of you, and it seems to me that everytime I did so, I was just coming in out of the rain.

It's raining a lot here. And it's really not a good thing.

I don't know if it's being reported or not, because god knows America's like the king of extreme weather, but this area of the world is getting kicked hard right now with severe flooding.

And I mean hard.

Yesterday, it rained so hard in Chisinau, where I live, that we had flash flooding through the streets. It was so quick and so hard that two people got swept up in at and were trapped underneath cars. They drowned. Another woman was found dead under a bridge.

Vadu lui Voda, that tourist spot I told you about where I went "camping" on the Nistru River, has been completely swept away of all its touristy attractions. No more cutesy coffee shops and restaurants and bars...

In Moldova thus far, 100 houses have been destroyed and 5,000 people evacuated. Anecdotally, I have heard that many did not want to leave their houses.... they told the authorities that they had spent their lives building their houses, and they would rather die with them then leave them.

The United Nations is currently reporting that 35,000 people have been evacuated from the three countries of Romania, Ukraine and Moldova, but I have heard this to be an inaccurate and low assessment. They are also estimating at least 36 people dead thus far.

In Chisinau, we have been warned that if the Nistru levels climb to 15m, the pumps in Vadu lui Voda will be unable to withhold the pressure, and will break. The result of this is a complete shut-off of water to the capitol city inhabited by a third of the country's population. We have been told to begin storing water now.

Just so everyone understands, 15 meters is almost 5o feet.

That was two days ago, when the water was at 13.5m. And yes, it has rained significantly since then.

Perhaps the most dangerous thing for the country in the whole is the potential loss of agriculture income. Last year was devestatingly bad, and for a nation whose primary industry is food, another year of mangled outcomes could signal a world of bad news.



Of the three countries I've mentioned, Moldova is the only one who has yet to ask for international assistance.

But we will need it.

Russia has stepped in and is shipping material supplies to both the Ukraine and Moldova. Being a former satellite has its uses.

As I type, it's sunny and beautiful and HOT. Generally, this means nothing in this country. But it is supposed to be sunny this weekend.

I hope for once the forecasters are right.