The devastating effects of cyclone Frederico, the biggest storm that “swept” the Romanian coast PHOTO

The balance of Cyclone Frederico at the end of last week is terrible: the authorities are still intervening in the coastal areas devastated by the strongest storm recorded in the last decade on the Romanian coast of the Black Sea

Three red codes, for rain and wind, were given by meteorologists for Cyclone Frederico, which hit Constanța county hard: two for wind and one for torrential rain. It was a terrible storm and only a miracle meant that no one was injured during the more than 18 hours of the scourge: the wind reached 110 kilometers per hour and the sea waves were up to nine meters high, comparable to a building of two floors.

How the cyclone was formed

Meteorologists and climatologists watched the phenomenon with concern.

“There was a sudden drop in pressure, in the context of the evolution in the western basin of the Black Sea of ​​a cyclone, and that’s how such effects were reached. Cyclones are common phenomena in the Black Sea, they manifest themselves in large storms, but not necessarily of such intensity”said Mia Mirabela Stamate, head of the Forecast Service at the Dobrogea Regional Meteorology Center.

The specialist also said that a storm comparable to that of November 18 and 19, but not as strong, was recorded on January 22 and 24, 2004. Equally unusual was the winter of 2012, when the Black Sea, although salty, it froze at unusually low temperatures for the coast: minus 18 degrees.

Black Sea storm PHOTO Antonia Ispas

“As a rule, wind intensifications occur in the Black Sea area, so we cannot say with certainty whether or not we will have to deal with a phenomenon of such intensity again in the near future”, says the head of the forecast service.

Devastated towns

Authorities are still taking stock of the devastation left behind by the cyclone and are still working where there are still trees in danger of falling, downed power poles or pieces of collapsed roofs. Damages cannot be calculated at this time.

“More than 400 firefighters have intervened so far, performing 532 missions to eliminate the effects of meteorological phenomena. We are talking about 242 trees uprooted, 60 cars damaged by branches and trees, 25 downed electricity poles, 50 roofs dislodged by the wind, four cracked gas pipes, a sewer that backs up water, 128 medical cases and 13 fires “, said Ana Maria Stoica, spokesperson of ISU Dobrogea. In total there were more than 1,000 calls to 112 received after the devastating effects of the storm.

The worst situation was registered in the Faleza Nord neighborhood of Constanta. The bridge of a block of flats was torn off by the cyclone, over an area of ​​400 square meters and collapsed on a playground, effectively crushing it. Huge pieces of the roof were scattered throughout the park, breaking windows on the ground floor of the block and blocking access to the building and damaging three cars. Fortunately, no one was hurt.

“I was exactly in the balcony, on the ground floor, when I heard a loud bang. Initially, I didn’t realize what happened, but when I opened the window I saw the roof had fallen. We went out immediately, with other neighbors, to see first if anyone was injured, that’s what we were most afraid of, lest someone be trapped under the roof”said Andrei Neagu, a tenant in the affected block.

Now, the tenants have to take money out of their pockets to repair the entire roof, because the one left on the block is about to fall at the first strong wind.

Sunken boats

Boat owners in Port Tomis are counting their damage. Although the basin is protected by the storm breakwater, a sailboat and 15 boats capsized in the marina due to the waves. Fishermen say they have never seen the storm hit the harbor before, although some are lifelong fishermen.

“We’re trying to get them out now, we’re helping each other, what are we going to do? We bring them as close as possible to the surface with the crane, with the levers, then slowly – slowly, with motor pumps, with boilers we remove the water from them. We also can’t believe that something like this could happen and we’ve only been through storms before. In vain I anchored and tied the boats, they still sank”said Florin Iorga, fisherman.

Beaches washed by waves

The particularly strong wind whipped up the sea and the waves swept the beaches. The cliff in Năvodari was flooded, but the Vama Veche resort was the most affected. The waves practically reached the street, devastating a well-known beach bar on the beach, which they tore off the protective panels and destroyed all the goods that were stored inside.

Garbage left after the Black Sea storm PHOTO Antonia Ispas

The raging water dug up the power cables of the beach bars in the sand, which are now scattered on the beach, and entered the yards where it washed away all the waste that now covers the sand, making a deplorable picture.

The beach in Costinești was also devastated by waves of several meters, and in Eforie, although we are talking about a beach 100 meters wide, the wind tore off the protective panels and dragged them into the sea.

In addition, dozens of localities in Constanța County do not have electricity or drinking water due to the code red storm at the end of the week.