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246:, this worried Romanians and CeauČescu then toured the country, saying over and over in speeches to flood victims that his policy remained unchanged—national independence and sovereignty, noninterference in the internal affairs of other states, equality between governments and between Communist parties, and the right of each party to shape its own policies.
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knew by June 3 that floods from three weeks earlier would reach them on June 11, the question being if their dikes would hold. The neighbouring Soviet Union and
Bulgaria were not nearly as threatened, as the Prut and Danube banks are steep and high on their shores. The floods also came in phases: for
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The floods began around May 12 and lasted into mid-June. 209 people were killed, 41,000 houses were damaged or totally destroyed (leaving at least 265,000 homeless), over a million arable acres were inundated, over 100,000 sheep, pigs, cows and chickens (including over 35,000 head of cattle) drowned,
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Reflecting a drive for development and modernisation, the regime embarked upon a national land-improvement programme following the floods, covering drainage, irrigation, soil erosion, navigation, power, research and training in a comprehensive approach that departed from mere reliance upon control
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soon followed, but a week passed before the USSR sent a message and an offer of aid. Moreover, Western companies offered to repair or replace damaged industrial equipment they had furnished: the GalaČi iron and steel plant (Romania's largest) was built with
Western expertise and equipment against
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Significant resources were mobilised to fight the waters and their effects. Medical teams toured most areas of the country warning people not to drink polluted water (many drinking water installations were destroyed) and inoculating all citizens aged 2 to 55 against
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leaders spent hours superintending the completion of a five-mile (8 km)-long earth and timber dike at BrÄila. In foreign policy, the floods offered him an opportunity to continue
Romania's independent foreign policy, which sought to keep its distance from the
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centres are near the Danube, Prut and Siret, all three of which were swollen and which merge four miles (6 km) upstream from GalaČi. On May 22, wearing a black turtleneck sweater, workman's cloth cap and farmer's jacket, CeauČescu and high
308:("The Matrix"). During the rains, a woman gives birth to her child while her father is dying in an adjacent room. As the waters close in on her, her sole thought is to raise the baby above her head in an effort to save it.
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to assist flood victims; money poured in from factory groups throughout
Romania. In one Bucharest institute, 100 donors a day gave blood, while scores of foreign diplomats gave clothing and household items.
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146 factories were idled at least temporarily, and over 250 miles (400 km) of highway required repair. At least 240,000 people were evacuated, some repeatedly. Thirty-seven of
Romania's then 39
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structures. Not only did
Romania cope with the floods; it brought in specifically designed alleviative and preventive measures. The floods were mentioned in at least one literary work:
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The provision of foreign aid also reflected this independent course. The single largest relief payment, the equivalent of $ 400,000, came from the
144:, the women and children of which were evacuated to centres in hill villages while the men salvaged possessions. Airports, including those at
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took personal direction of some emergency measures in the BrÄila and GalaČi areas, particularly sensitive because their heavy industry and
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instance, the waters were just beginning to recede when on May 23â24 renewed heavy rain and snowfalls raised their level again.
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Broadly speaking, floodwaters moved from the northern and central regions toward the Danube lowlands in the south and east. The
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212:. Thousands of soldiers and civilians worked around the clock to build miles of new dikes and reinforce old ones.
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92:, brought on by river swelling caused by torrential rains, high winds and a heat wave that melted snow in the
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183:(which rose up to 6½ ft above normal spring high-water levels, flooding docks and port installations in
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261:; Romania was the only Eastern Bloc country to have relations with Israel at the time. Aid from the
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were severely damaged, with 230 towns and villages hit in just the first twelve days, including
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594:"AlertÄ maximÄ la Barajul Stânca-CosteČti" ("Maximum Alert at the Stânca-CosteČti Dam")
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195:. As crests rolled onward, downstream localities knew to fear the worst: for instance,
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613:"Sate distruse pentru barajul de la Stânca" ("Villages Destroyed for the Stânca Dam")
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aid organisations promised 50 tons of food, children's clothing and medicine, while
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sent a number of mobile water-purification units. A special fund was set up in
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556:"Independent Rumanians' Spines Stiffened by Disasters and Soviet Pressure",
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The
Columbia Guide to the Literatures of Eastern Europe Since 1945
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The floods had political ramifications as well. General
Secretary
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494:"Rumania Expands Rescue Effort As Toll in Floods Is Put at 200",
383:"Embattled Rumanian City Bolsters Dike for Next Phase of Flood",
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238:. While at the height of the floods, he made a sudden trip to
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history in loss of life, and caused the most damage up to the
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Soviet opposition. Over a dozen countries, including
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216:Political ramifications and international response
179:rivers were among those affected, as well as the
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527:"Danube Flood Toll 161; Record Crest on Way",
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401:Political Economy of Large Natural Disasters
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331:A memorial cross to the victims, raised in
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31:Flood victims attempting to move about in
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540:"Floods in Rumania Peril Cities' Dikes",
403:, p.188. Oxford University Press (1993),
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123:(at left, wearing a cap) riding through
619:, 19 August 2008; accessed May 30, 2010
450:, p. 209. Taylor & Francis (2006),
430:"Rumanians Evacuated in Flood Threat",
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108:500 million; perhaps over $ 1 billion.
600:, 29 July 2008; accessed May 30, 2010
573:. Columbia University Press. p. 518.
7:
257:. The first relief plane came from
507:Petts, Geoffrey E. and Amoros, C.
466:"Rumanians Press Flood Recovery",
448:Floods, from Defence to Management
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311:The main goal of building the
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96:, were the worst in modern
72:$ 500 million â $ 1 billion
16:Natural disaster in Romania
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511:, p.377. Springer (1996),
251:People's Republic of China
636:1970 disasters in Romania
569:Segel, Harold B. (2003).
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339:, soon after the floods.
253:, then embroiled in the
231:Romanian Communist Party
399:Albala-Bertrand, J. M.
651:1970s floods in Europe
641:1970 natural disasters
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90:1970 floods in Romania
42:Meteorological history
20:1970 floods in Romania
617:Monitorul de BotoČani
560:, June 10, 1970, p.12
470:, July 12, 1970, p.13
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509:Fluvial Hydrosystems
498:, May 24, 1970, p.19
434:, May 25, 1970, p. 2
387:, June 6, 1970, p.10
94:Carpathian Mountains
544:, May 27, 1970, p.9
531:, June 3, 1970, p.7
319:river from floods.
313:Stânca-CosteČti Dam
244:Ion Gheorghe Maurer
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558:The New York Times
542:The New York Times
529:The New York Times
496:The New York Times
468:The New York Times
432:The New York Times
385:The New York Times
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656:Floods in Romania
598:Evenimentul Zilei
255:Sino-Soviet split
222:Nicolae CeauČescu
121:Nicolae CeauČescu
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304:'s 1976 play
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302:Marin Sorescu
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51:MayâJune 1970
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646:1970s floods
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284:West Germany
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236:Soviet Union
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267:Netherlands
104:: at least
102:2006 floods
630:Categories
276:Yugoslavia
138:SighiČoara
61:Fatalities
35:, May 1970
33:Alba Iulia
337:Bucharest
295:Aftermath
288:Bucharest
150:Satu Mare
125:Satu Mare
333:Militari
265:and the
134:counties
112:Flooding
98:Romanian
48:Duration
280:British
173:Slatina
161:Târnava
157:Prahova
81:Romania
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515:
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445:et al.
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272:France
259:Israel
240:Moscow
201:BrÄila
197:GalaČi
181:Danube
175:) and
142:MediaČ
69:Damage
360:Notes
351:1970
306:Matca
193:Siret
177:Tisza
146:Sibiu
575:ISBN
513:ISBN
452:ISBN
405:ISBN
317:Prut
274:and
199:and
191:and
189:Prut
171:and
148:and
140:and
88:The
187:),
165:Olt
64:209
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106:$
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