In September 2024, a storm called Boris had its way with towns and villages across Central and Eastern Europe. In many communities, it dropped a month’s worth of rain in only twenty-four hours.
Romania was not spared and people in Galati county were hit the hardest. Thousands of homes were severely damaged and hundreds of people displaced. Seven died.
"You work a lifetime, gather a little, set aside. And then you wake up with nothing—not even salt” says Vasile Mirica, a 81-year-old from Slobozia Conachi. “What can you do? You sit like a beggar, waiting for someone to bring you a plate of food or a can.”
These are just glimpses of the countless tragic experiences that the floods left behind, stories of people coping with the aftermath, and trying to rebuild their lives amidst devastating losses. But they also serve as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges posed by climate change, and the urgent need for systemic change, including better infrastructure and preventive measures to mitigate the impact of future floods or other natural disasters, especially at a time when these natural phenomena tend to become more frequent and more severe.
Beyond the waters 01
Neculina Ilie 71 years old in her devastated home in Costache Negri Romania after the Boris storm had hit the area br I used to live here From now on God knows where I ll live says Neculina Ilie about the place she called home for so many years We can t rebuild the house here anymore br At 11 30 p m when the floodwaters came she was alone at home She hoped the water would remain shallow like in 2016 Preparing for the worst she took all the rugs from the floor piled them on her bed a large double bed built into the furniture and climbed on top When the water rose to the level of the bed she took out all the comforters and pillows from the wardrobe stacked them into a tower and climbed on top again She only managed to save her documents and her son s laptop holding them tightly to her chest br It started to rise and rise and rise Neculina recalls Everything in the house began collapsing tables with TVs wardrobes beds everything Bang bang The water brought everything near me the things I once had in my home God what else can I do God what do I do now that the water is coming br When the water reached her chest she thought of climbing onto the wardrobe hoping the bed would keep it stable I leaned against it and grabbed it with both hands I even have pain under my ribs now from holding on like that From 1 a m when the water rose so high until 7 a m I stayed clinging there br She had no electricity or flashlight Occasionally she turned on her phone s light so someone passing by in a boat might see she was inside She kept doing this until daylight When the water started to drop she prayed Please God let it go down Please God But she was soaking wet and started shaking Oh no I survived the whole night and now I ll die she thought br She tried to find something dry to wear She opened the wardrobe slightly and managed to pull out a tracksuit When the water dropped to her feet she changed out of her wet clothes and rubbed her muscles vigorously to warm herself br When she opened a window and saw her grandson outside he had brought her dry clothes Grandma s okay she told them When the water goes down maybe I can come out When the water finally subsided they carried her over the debris It was 7 30 in the morning br For the clarity and presence of mind she displayed that night Neculina thanks God She believes it was His guidance that kept her safe She prayed continuously God stop the flood God br Her neighbours believed she had died So did her children One of them imagined that when he reached me he d find me bloated floating in the water says Neculina That s the image he had when he came home br The 71-year-old woman lives in Costache Negri with a stream right behind her house I look at the stream from my house she jokes The embankment has eroded and is now lower than it was before Her only hope is that the authorities will fortify the stream or offer her a plot of land elsewhere in the village You can t rebuild here because in a few years it will happen again This is the third time she says br In 2013 after the first flood she rebuilt her old house With funds from the government and help from her children she built a new one No one warned her that this could happen again We kept calling the town hall and saying they needed to clear the stream They came with dredging machines raised the other side made it high and left us down low Then they said they couldn t access this area anymore because it had been worked on The only way to get in was through the yards along the street We said Fine we ll allow it Bring the machines Nothing came of it Neculina says br In 2016 another flood came but it only affected the lower annexes After that smaller flood we didn t give up We went to the town hall people came from Gala i from the environmental agency We kept saying something needed to be done but nothing was done If they had fixed the stream we wouldn t have suffered like this She adds Now it s too much you ve seen how high the water was br Every time it rains her children worry Are there clouds they ask her Has the rain started What kind of rain is it Get out don t stay in the house they insist This time they didn t even sound the siren to warn us beforehand Neculina says Apparently it was broken If it had worked maybe we could have left earlier But how do you leave through water that s already carrying you away br Neculina has lost everything All her chickens Her two parrots drowned in their cage Two dogs whom she still searches for among the mud in her yard All the furniture in her house Plus her son s belongings which he had stored there while renovating his apartment in Gala i A ton of corn purchased for the birds The firewood her children had prepared to get her through the winter She heard on the news that they ll receive vouchers for appliances but that s not her priority Let them come with those if they want But what about a house Where do I live I ll manage to replace appliances later but a house where do I build it Invest money here It s not possible br Neculina will spend the winter at her son s home in Gala i In the spring if they allocate plots of land in a flood-free area I ll build again so the children have somewhere to visit she says And maybe I ll live to see it I m 71 years old I hope to live longer if God wills it That s it There s no way to repair things here br Neculina is content to be given a plot of land anywhere in the commune I won t go too far If I leave here my children will feel uprooted too I don t want to leave this area but I need land and maybe the town hall will think of us With patience and God s help maybe they ll prepare something for us That s all we can hope for br Costache Negri Romania September 25th 2024
Beyond the waters 02
Outside Neculina Ilie s flooded home in Costache Negri Romania after the Boris storm had hit the area In September 2024 the village where she lives has been hit by floods for the third time in the past 11 years
Beyond the waters 03
Vasile Miric 81 years old in his flooded home in Slobozia Conachi Romania after the Boris storm had hit the area br Vasile Miric was awakened by his daughter in the middle of the night around one o clock Dad wake up it s grim outside br There s water in the yard He got up saw the water and realised it wasn t just rain This is coming in it s muddy he thought br His first thought was to save the poultry lifting them to safety so they wouldn t drown By the time they returned the water was br already entering the house They fled to the street moving higher up near the school br Around three in the morning the big wave came says Miric It covered the car in the yard everything nothing was left It br broke the fence and a piece of the gate was carried away That day we had harvested grapes and crushed them but nothing br remained That first day was chaotic no help nothing Everyone was disoriented not knowing what to do br The real hardship however came after They couldn t salvage anything from the house Everything was destroyed furniture br appliances everything Some soldiers helped them remove the worst of it br Everything was ruined We had two TVs two washing machines they re gone Vasile recounts Two refrigerators and a br freezer We had those because we kept many birds That s life in the countryside and I liked having everything I used to br slaughter and store meat in the freezer My daughter would say Come on Dad I m not here to take your things But I liked br having it all stored Whatever I wanted I could find there br Out of 75 chickens only five survived The ducks and cats were saved The two dogs were rescued before the floodwaters arrived br I pampered them gave them cheap lunch meat of course I love them both the dogs and the cats You raise them from pups br and you can t help but care for them br Now his daughter is helping him clean washing the walls floors and windows covered in mud Vasile is unwell and even a br small amount of work leaves him completely exhausted the next day They also sought help elsewhere But often when br someone came to help I felt embarrassed to ask for this or that to be done the old man confesses I swear I don t know it br feels like I m making others do my work in my yard br The blue shirt he s wearing is one of the few things he still owns In the meantime he s received a few other items As for br clothes oh Lord there s nothing to say I would go to Gala i muddy my daughter would wash my clothes they d dry overnight br and I d wear them the next day It s hard so hard Younger folks can rebuild but what about me What can I do br Like many others in the area Vasile lost a lifetime s worth of savings overnight You work a lifetime gather a little set aside I br had everything absolutely everything And then you wake up with nothing not even salt What can you do You sit like a br beggar waiting for someone to bring you a plate of food or a can What else can you do That s how it is It s tough but we try to br get through it however we can That s our story as flood victims br Slobozia Conachi Romania September 24th 2024
Beyond the waters 04
All the appliances of Vasile Miric an 81-year-old man from Slobozia Conachi Romania have been destroyed when the flood hit his village in September 2024 They couldn t salvage anything from the house
Beyond the waters 05
Aurel Manolache 56 years old and Lenu a Manolache 52 years old in their courtyard in Pechea Romania after the floods caused by Boris storm hit their village br In the dead of night Aurel Manolache s phone buzzed with a loud alert He read the Ro Alert message take precautions water is br coming leave your home and move to higher ground He opened the door to see what was happening It had been raining br heavily for hours He stepped outside and there was water already Ten minutes later it was up to his knees br I got scared then says Lenu a Aurel s wife We didn t even grab our documents We stepped outside for a moment thinking br maybe it would pass just a little but no it overwhelmed us We couldn t return The water came so quickly adds Aurel It br wasn t just rising a bit No boom br On their street there is an elderly woman living alone Aurel recalls how he rushed into her house fearing the water would br sweep her away She s all alone We treat her like a mother says Aurel I went into her house and got her out of bed Come br on the water will take you and everything else br The Manolache family spent the rest of the night in the street on higher ground with their neighbours We were all crying out br together They couldn t return home until Monday at noon The water was still there says Aurel but at least it wasn t rising br anymore br Inside their house the water had reached one meter high Mud streaks on the walls serve as a grim reminder circling the rooms br like a belt In one room a bookshelf the only piece of furniture not thrown out holds things that were once new and br cherished now caked in mud In the yard their chickens and ducks were gone br In my 56 years I ve never experienced anything like this says Aurel We ve had three floods before but never like this He br mentions the floods of 2013 and 2016 that also hit Pechea This was double what we saw 8-11 years ago He attributes the br severity to the nearby river not being cleared The reeds are two and a half meters high and all the trash gets stuck there That s br why it overflowed onto us br It shouldn t have happened Lenu a adds People deserve to have a home a place to stay There are others whose houses br collapsed entirely Where will they sleep Some have children What will they do Where will they stay Maybe they don t even br have a room left to sleep in br Aurel insists he won t leave his home no matter what Once the water receded he laid down two rugs and slept on them After br two nights I finally got some sleep He now has a bed from someone and he sent his wife to sleep at their daughter s house in br the same village He s tired very tired With the government aid they received they bought appliances I got a washing br machine and today I m expecting a fridge because you need it You have nowhere to keep food What can you do with 10 000 br lei Nothing honestly nothing Appliances are expensive But I m grateful we could replace the appliances For the rest what br can you do with 10 000 It s nothing Lenu a is grateful for even that small help At least it s something enough to buy what br you need br The couple has three sons all working in England They won t come back now Lenu a says sadly Where would they come br back to To have their house swept away entirely Before they talked about coming back to build homes But now what s the br point If they build the water will just take it all She fears this wasn t their last battle with the floods Do you think this is the br last one There will be more water br Pechea Romania September 25th 2024
Beyond the waters 06
An old sleigh covered in mud in the Manolache family s courtyard in Pechea Romania after the floods caused by Boris storm hit their village
Beyond the waters 07
Ioana Marin 71 years old in her home in Slobozia Conachi Romania after the floods hit her village br Up to my mouth just two centimetres more and it would ve entered my mouth recalls Ioana Marin of the night of Friday br September 13-14 when her birthplace Slobozia Conachi was hit again by floods the third time in 11 years br Luckily the boy who lives with us broke through to the attic otherwise I would have drowned She shows me a picture of her br house where only the tin roof is visible above the water When the water came it came all at once says Ioana With such br force that it destroyed the animal shelter here the pantry there and the ceiling collapsed It ripped the doors off their hinges br It was the middle of the night when the boy living on their property woke her up Aunt Ioana get up something s wrong the br water s coming She went outside in her nightgown Seeing the water she grabbed a robe and went to wake her husband and br son By the time they all got outside the water was up to their knees By the time they realised what was happening the water br was already taking everything says Ioana Her son ran to try to save the pigs But when he came back with the pigs and saw br me with water up to my mouth he let the pigs go and came for me Slowly we managed to get to safety It was so hard to open br the door because the water was already up to the windows We had to climb out through a window br She describes how the boy broke through the paneling and boards leading to the attic with his bare hands his fists bloody Her br husband climbed up first and with great difficulty they pulled her up as well By then she was already unwell We sat up there br soaked for a long time until the next day Without a signal they couldn t talk to anyone but had managed to call 112 Around br noon on Saturday a helicopter circled above them but couldn t rescue them due to the trees Half an hour later rescuers arrived br by boat They took us and we found shelter wherever we could br It wasn t until Monday that they managed to return home What can I say when we saw what was here we felt sick says br Ioana My husband nearly collapsed I m a bit stronger but he s sick br Their property is in ruins The ceiling is on the verge of collapse In one room a device tirelessly tries to extract water from the br walls The stoves are destroyed Through the window you can see the washing machine in the middle of the cornfield The br tomatoes are all flattened The pigs are gone the horse is gone Only 20 of over 100 birds remain br Horror Horror That s what we went through says Ioana If the water was at my mouth the panic And to see my husband br like that But may God grant us health to endure br Slobozia Conachi Romania September 24th 2024
Beyond the waters 08
Destroyed shed and furniture in Ioana Marin s backyard in Slobozia Conachi Romania after the floods hit her village During the flooding one of her buildings was fully covered by the water only the tin roof remaining visible
Beyond the waters 09
Monalisa Marin 50 years old at her brother s home in Costache Negri Romania after the floods caused by Boris storm hit her family s village br At six in the morning on September 14 Monalisa Marin received a message from her nephew the area in Costache Negri where her family br lived was heavily flooded and there was no news about her mother and brother At that moment no one knew if they were still alive br Monalisa recalls She tried calling but the networks were down She began searching for news from Romania to understand what had br happened Unfortunately I couldn t find much I only knew that a great disaster had occurred br Monalisa Marin a Montessori educator working abroad for ten years booked the first flight home By 4 a m the next day she was in Tecuci br My nephew rented an apartment there where he took my mother and brother My mother was sleeping and I didn t want to wake her I just br opened the door and looked at her Monalisa says br Her brother recounted the events He woke up to noise and the agitated barking of the dog Getting out of bed he stepped into water He br quickly grabbed the dog and alternating between walking and swimming reached their mother s house which was slightly higher up near br the street She was in her room with water up to her knees At first she refused to leave the house but when she finally agreed it was too br late We can t now he told her or we ll both die The water was up to their necks Taking her by the hand they waded through the br darkness and cold water to another room where a wardrobe had fallen onto a sofa He broke through the ceiling with his bare hands and br using the fallen furniture helped his mother climb into the attic Soaking wet they stayed there until nearly noon br It was like a tsunami Monalisa s brother told her about the scene outside the attic The water came from three directions filthy and br incredibly powerful The current was so strong and the noise was deafening It was terrifying br Costache Negri has experienced three floods in the past 11 years 2016 was mild for us the water was about 60 centimetres inside the house br Monalisa recalls The word mild sounds chilling when paired with 60 cm of water 2013 was quite bad she continues but the gardens and br yards weren t as affected This time it uprooted trees destroyed all the fences We have a concrete fence with a 60-centimetre foundation br underground and it broke Back then we didn t have anything left everything was destroyed But it wasn t as terrible as desolate as br heartbreaking as now This time even the trees are gone nothing is left standing br Since leaving the country Monalisa has spent every summer vacation with her mother She doesn t travel she stays with her This summer br she left Costache Negri three weeks before the flood When she returned everything looked desolate water still covered the area dead br animals lay everywhere houses had collapsed and mud was everywhere Her family s homes were filled with water and mud the furniture br destroyed and nothing recognisable from before remained At her brother s house the water reached the attic The house built in 2010 was br brand new br It has survived three floods Each time we cleaned it replaced the flooring doors windows everything necessary Each time we lost br everything says Monalisa In 2013 we thought it was a one-time event Okay it rained reservoirs overflowed and this tributary wasn t br cleared We thought it wouldn t happen again No one told us that the Geru and Suhu rivers needed clearing maintaining and concrete br reinforcements That they d need millions of euros which they didn t have We didn t know this story br Now every time it rains people on Monalisa s street live in constant fear No one sleeps even if it drizzles she says This summer I stayed br there for over a month and it rained a few times I didn t sleep at all I walked around the yard watching how much water was coming how br much it rained Everyone does the same patrolling their yards and streets br She has since learned the area is officially declared a floodplain unsafe and at risk of flooding at any time The Minister of Environment even br said it Monalisa notes All her neighbours including her family are planning to leave No one wants to live there anymore It s not possible br People are already ill suffering from fear panic attacks and depression after the 2013 floods For us the water comes from the hill the side br of the house and the back We have no chance It s not wise to build or invest here anymore she says br Monalisa s mother is now in Italy with one of her daughters They convinced her to leave only by promising to clean her room bathroom and br kitchen so she could return in the spring She cried continuously and still cries for her little house her bed Each elderly person wants to br stay in their home says Monalisa But by spring the family hopes to convince her that returning isn t safe br We are deeply attached to our hometown Monalisa says Many on this street are children who built homes and stayed with their parents br It s hard to uproot I feel the same way Where will I go in the summer I always knew I d come to my mom and spend the whole summer with br her But sadly we have to leave br Costache Negri Romania September 25th 2024
Beyond the waters 10
Destroyed fruit trees in Monalisa Marin s family backyard in Costache Negri Romania after the floods caused by Boris storm hit her family s village
Beyond the waters 11
Margareta Dr gan 59 years old in her destroyed home in Slobozia Conachi after floods caused by the Boris storm had hit the area br On the night of Friday September 13-14 Margareta Dr gan was home alone with her bedridden 93-year-old mother Her husband was working br the night shift Around two in the morning it started thundering lightning and raining When the water entered the yard the shed and the car br Margareta panicked She called her husband I ll try to come home he said and got in the car He stopped at the dispensary in Slobozia br Conachi where he could no longer drive through He walked through the water wearing boots although the boots were useless she recounts br The water reached above his knees and Nelu is a tall man Thank goodness he got home and was with me when the Suhurlui river and the br floodwaters came If he hadn t been there I don t think I would have endured Margareta says br From the first thunderclaps they lost electricity If it hadn t been dark they might have been able to save some belongings The flashlight ran out br of batteries We couldn t see anything it was pitch black only glimpses when the lightning flashed she recalls When the water began to enter br the house they lifted m m i a her mother onto the wheelchair When the water reached her seat they placed her on the armrest of the br couch Even there the water reached her The poor thing sat with her bottom in the water says Margareta They called 112 and eventually a br team of firefighters arrived with a boat br The rescuers couldn t get past the fence They used a floating pallet placed m m i a on it They wanted to take me swimming but I m terrified br of water and couldn t I said I won t leave my husband alone br They stood in the cold water filled with oil stains praying it wouldn t rise further They kept looking at the tall fence as a reference point until it br disappeared beneath the water They lost phone signal and couldn t communicate with anyone Relatives in the village worried sent rescuers br again They came back and took us along with our dogs And that s how we escaped says Margareta br Margareta and Nelu Dr gan have lived their entire lives in Slobozia Conachi They enjoyed rural life working hard and having everything they br needed In 2015 after the floods of two years prior they built a new house near the old structures We didn t know what was going to happen to br us so many times in a row she adds br On Sunday back in her waterlogged yard despair overtook Margareta I felt powerless exhausted she says her eyes welling up We worked br so hard both of us I can t even tell you And we lost everything Everything is gone Everything br Their new furniture fell apart wardrobes toppled mattresses soaked and the TVs and other appliances were ruined Clothes and the car were br filled with mud Of their 63 hens only 19 survived the rest were found dead in the yard Miraculously their pig survived br I didn t think it would all go be destroyed I just wanted us to survive In those moments all I could think about was our lives Margareta br recalls She believes she had a panic attack but credits her husband s encouragement for getting through What else could we save That was it br We thought of the pig the poultry but at that moment we knew everything else was gone br Over time she hopes to rebuild her life We ll take it as it comes Maybe this was our fate I don t know what to say she adds Pragmatic they br have some savings and plan to work again We never went on trips or vacations we always stayed here Margareta says With m m i a to care br for and farming tasks to do year-round there was always something needing attention We never found even a week for ourselves Always here br But now I want a vacation Once the house is somewhat liveable and the mud is gone I want at least three days in the mountains I love the br mountains I don t like water the sea The mountains and going higher Clean air greenery That s why we stayed in the countryside I love br nature and always will br Margareta has never considered moving Their two children who live in Ia i have repeatedly invited them to join them We can t part with our br birthplace our roots are here our parents are buried here she says However she admits that if after the 2013 floods someone had warned br them that such disasters would become more frequent and severe they would not have built their house there I would have gone elsewhere br found a safer spot and built there But no one came to instil that fear Leave because worse will come br Margareta experienced moments of terror Things must change she insists All the mayors in this area should put pressure on Parliament They br should go there month after month remind them because now yes they see us suffering they come and help but then they forget about us We br people too should unite speak out and share the nightmare we ve lived through Maybe we ll move them stir some compassion and they ll br start doing something A well-thought-out project to prevent such devastation It should have been done long ago But nothing has been done br Slobozia Conachi Romania September 24th 2024
Beyond the waters 12
Margareta Dragan s canned fruits and vegetables in the storage room that had been completely flooded With appliances ruined and the garden under mud these come in handy in desperate times