Extreme Weather Events in Bulgaria for the Period 2001 – 03 and Responses to Address Them

Summary

The authors point to the great weather varieties in Bulgaria, which enable delineation of 5 climatic areas. The climatic specificities of Bulgaria cause the occurrence of extreme weather events such as storms, hurricanes, tornados, extreme cold spells and ice-formation, torrential rains, floods, unusually warm spells, dry spells, etc. The report analyzes the causes and magnitude of disasters occurring for a three-year period (2001 – 2003) and which posed environmental and population risk. The role and place of the forces and resources of the Civil Protection Service, the ministries and other agencies for addressing the aftermath and curtailing environmental risk and population casualties are highlighted.