Nov. 23, 2004
Slovensko.com

The forest in the High Tatras National Park mountain range has virtually disappeared after the windstorm that passed across Slovakia on Friday. The uprooted and broken trees amount to about three million cubic meters of wood. Damage to forest property is in billions of crowns. People say trees fell like dominoes.

“Now I can imagine what the country looks like after exploding an atomic bomb. It was horrible”, says Miroslav Skvarek from the Children Anti-tuberculosis Sanatorium in Dolny Smokovec. About 50 children were trapped in the hospital and waited hours for help.

The situation in Slovakia is an emergency, Agriculture Minister Zsolt Simon said at a news conference in Tatranska Lomnica on Saturday. According to preliminary estimates from the TANAP state forestry company, the damaged coniferous forest amounts to about 2.5 million cubic meters of softwood which represents 90 percent of the annual extraction in this category of wood in Slovakia. Because of this, the minister with immediate effect ordered a halt to all planned softwood extraction activity throughout Slovakia. "This emergency situation requires these extraordinary measures," he said. At the same time, he with immediate effect issued a ban for citizens to enter forests with the exception of people employed to do forestry work.

Premier Dzurinda said a "nationwide effort" would be required in order to deal with the consequences of this "natural disaster". "The Tatras are a national symbol and tourist attraction, but they also stand for our cultural and natural heritage. I will therefore urge the public to be active," the PM told journalists.

The natural disaster which Slovakia's High Tatras mountains experienced after Friday's hurricane has evoked a considerable response both at home and abroad. Among those who have already promised to provide financial resources in order to alleviate the consequences of this enormous natural calamity are various companies, municipalities, NGOs, domestic political parties as well as foreign authorities.

http://www.slovensko.com/news/1830