TIRANA, January 9 – Prime Minister Edi Rama reported that, nationwide, 1,587 homes have been affected by water, while 339 people and 51 families have been evacuated.

During the meeting of the Inter-ministerial Committee for Civil Emergencies, the prime minister updated the situation caused by the recent severe weather and exceptionally high rainfall.

He noted that rainfall decreased across the country, except in Durrës, where authorities recorded 41 millimeters of rain. One municipal worker in Durrës drowned.

Prime Minister Rama stated that water affected 13,211 hectares of agricultural land, with a portion of the fields fully flooded.

He added that several health centers and educational facilities also experienced water presence. Rainfall reached extraordinary levels, up to 300 millimeters, exceeding the monthly average in just three or four days.

The prime minister said climate change contributed to the phenomenon, making such events increasingly common worldwide.

He explained that, in some lowland areas, rainfall over the past four to five days equaled about 25 percent of the annual average. The surge in water volumes in high-flow channels, main drainage collectors, mountain streams, and rivers caused the floods.

Prime Minister Rama emphasized that the floods occurred despite extensively renewed water protection infrastructure, reflecting ongoing investments over the past decade.

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