After the whirlwind, which hit Eastern Slovakia, the situation in the affected municipalities stabilized. Minister of the Interior of the Slovak Republic Matúš Šutaj Eštok personally thanked everyone who participated in the rescue work on Saturday at a press conference in Margecany.
“I am glad that there was no loss of life in this emergency event. The system we have set up in the resort, and most importantly, people in the field worked, ” said the Minister of the Interior.
The rapid and coordinated reaction of the components of the integrated rescue system, self -governments and volunteers was essential when mastering this natural disaster. Immediately after the event, the exit group of the Crisis Management Section of the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic, which provided professional and methodological support, was sent to the terrain. There were also professional and volunteer firefighters on the spot – only in the district of Gelnica they made a total of 62 hits, which involved 281 firefighters and 73 pieces of technology.
The damage is preliminarily estimated at approximately EUR 1 million. The Ministry activated the tools of aid, from material and technical assistance immediately to the emergency event to the one-off financial assistance of the endangered groups of the population whose dwellings were damaged or destroyed.
The amount of aid will depend on the extent of the damage:
• to 1000 euros for household equipment damage,
• to 5000 euros if the dwelling is damaged,
• to 15 000 euros for greater damage requiring reconstruction,
• Až up to 50 000 EUR in the complete destruction of the dwelling.
Applications must be submitted through municipalities within 30 days from the appeal of the emergency situation. The deadline for submitting applications for compensation for rescue work was extended until 23 July. At the same time, the Minister appealed to citizens and municipalities not to postpone the reporting.
The Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic, which paid the humanitarian aid to 190 households and currently processes another 56 applications, is also provided by financial assistance to the affected families. The amount of humanitarian aid is due to the legislation It increased from € 800 to € 1,500 and can also be provided repeatedly.
“Today, crisis management cannot be understood only as a reaction. It is a strategic discipline that requires planning, education and confidence in citizens. The readiness for increasingly frequent weather fluctuations, which are the result of climate change, is also important, ”stressed the Minister.
At the same time, he called on the inhabitants not to underestimate the insurance of property, which, together with the state aid, significantly increases the chances of rapid recovery after disasters. He also highlighted the State Secretary of the Ministry of Interior Michal Kaliňák and Lucie Kurilovská, who visited the affected municipalities immediately after the whirlwind. In negotiations with representatives of insurance companies, an agreement on the faster handling of reported events in connection with this extraordinary event fell.
Finally, the Minister thanked all the units, municipalities and residents who did not hesitate to lend a helping hand in the first moments: “A strong society is recognized just in times of crisis.”
