Flooding caused by overflowing rivers has killed at least one person in Albania and forced evacuations and emergency repairs in both Albania and neighbouring Montenegro, after days of severe winter weather across the Balkans.
In southern Albania, the Vjosa River burst its banks near Novosela, in the Vlorë region, prompting evacuation orders. Rescue teams used inflatable boats to reach residents trapped by rising water, including two elderly people whose home was flooded to a depth of around 1.5 metres. Further north, in the coastal city of Durrës, a 54-year-old man was found dead in an irrigation canal after being swept away by floodwaters. Emergency services were working to clear water from around 800 buildings, while some 300 people had been given temporary shelter.
In Montenegro, the Zeta River flooded residential areas in Danilovgrad, a town north of the capital, Podgorica. Around 30 homes and several nearby villages were affected. Near Podgorica, soldiers and engineers built a temporary pontoon bridge to replace a crossing destroyed by a torrent, while excavators cleared drainage channels as emergency crews worked to restore transport links.
The floods followed days of heavy rain and wintry conditions across the region. Parts of Albania recorded more than 100 millimetres of rain in 24 hours, a large amount for such a short period. Authorities have warned that further snowfall and icy conditions could bring more disruption in the coming days.
Why this matters: Albania and Montenegro are both Balkan countries with long Adriatic coastlines and many river systems that can swell quickly when heavy rain falls in a short time. The Vjosa, one of the region's major rivers, runs through southern Albania, and low-lying farmland and settlements along rivers are particularly exposed. The latest events show how quickly severe weather can overwhelm local infrastructure, cutting road links and leaving people stranded, and they place heavy demands on rescue services, the military and local authorities. With more adverse weather forecast, the immediate priority remains protecting residents and restoring access to affected areas.